New Patients — Getting Started

Do I Need a Referral?

It depends on your plan. Most PPO plans, Medicare, and many direct plans do not require a referral — you can contact us directly to get started. Some HMO and IPA plans do require a referral from your primary care physician before a specialist visit is covered. Not sure? Just call us and we'll help you figure it out.

If you are unsure, we recommend calling the member services number on the back of your insurance card, or contacting your PCP's office. Our staff can also help answer this question — call us at (844) 428-5864.

Insurance & Authorization

Whether your visit requires prior authorization depends on your specific insurance plan. Most PPO plans, Medicare, and many direct plans do not require authorization for specialist visits. Some plans — particularly HMOs — may require it. Either way, our team confirms your coverage before your appointment so there are no surprises.

Once your request is received, our team will verify your insurance and contact you to confirm a date and time. This typically takes 1–3 business days. We accept Medicare (no auth required), Medi-Cal, most PPO plans, and have contracts with 40+ HMO and IPA plans. View our full insurance list or call us to confirm your specific plan.

What to Bring to Your First Visit

See our detailed first-visit preparation page for full guidance on each item below.

• Photo ID (driver's license or passport)
• Insurance card(s)
• Referral authorization (if required by your plan)
• List of all current medications and dosages
• Any prior chest X-rays, CT scans, or pulmonary function test results
• Records from relevant prior specialists, if applicable
• Sleep study results (if scheduling a sleep medicine follow-up)

What to Expect at Your First Visit

Plan to arrive 15 minutes early to complete any remaining intake paperwork. A new patient consultation typically lasts 45–60 minutes.

Your physician will review your medical history, discuss your symptoms in detail, and perform a physical examination. Depending on your reason for the visit, you may also have in-office testing such as spirometry or a pulmonary function test (PFT) performed the same day.

At the end of your visit, your physician will discuss findings with you and outline a personalized care plan. Follow-up appointments, additional testing (such as imaging or a sleep study), or specialist referrals will be arranged as needed.

How to Schedule an Appointment

We confirm your insurance coverage before your appointment — and for plans that require prior authorization, we handle that process on your behalf. This ensures your visit is covered and avoids unexpected costs. Most PPO and Medicare patients can be seen quickly with minimal steps; if your plan requires additional authorization, our team will walk you through exactly what's needed.

To schedule:

• Submit a request online: Request an appointment — we'll call you within 1 business day.
• Call us directly: (844) 428-5864, Monday–Friday 9AM–5PM.
• Text us: (818) 366-2997

Our Locations

Northridge:
17075 Devonshire St., Suite 205
Northridge, CA 91325

Encino:
16260 Ventura Blvd., Suite 600
Encino, CA 91436

Thousand Oaks:
555 Marin St., Suite 110
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

All three offices are open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please let us know your preferred location when you request your appointment.