New S.F. health plan attracting members fast
San Francisco's novel health plan for the uninsured is attracting members at a fast pace, city officials said Tuesday.
Mayor Gavin Newsom said 1,000 people have signed up for the Healthy San Francisco program since it was unveiled July 2.
"Community response to the program has exceeded our expectations and underscores why Healthy San Francisco is needed," said Newsom.
The Healthy San Francisco program - originally called the San Francisco Health Access Program - is designed to cover as many as 82,000 San Franciscans who don't have health coverage through work or elsewhere. The program is accepting enrollees at two clinics in Chinatown. A broader roll out among hospitals and clinics is expected over the next two years.
The program is expected to cost as much as $200 million annually, funded with taxpayer money, member co-payments and mandatory business contributions totaling about $30 million annually.
San Francisco restaurants are fighting the proposed mandatory payments. A business group representing restaurants, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, sued San Francisco, claiming the health plan is superseded by federal law restricting local governments from administering employee benefits. A bench trial is scheduled to begin August 31 in San Francisco Superior Court.
If businesses succeed, the program won't be dismantled, but it might be scaled back.
Business groups have suggested other ways the city might raise money for the health plan. Restaurant association director Kevin Westlye said businesses have promoted a quarter-cent sales tax in San Francisco to generate funds, for example. While additional sales taxes are not popular in San Francisco, a restaurant association poll showed it would get support if voters know the money is going toward health care.
Healthy San Francisco is administered by the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Health Plan.
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