S.F. board adopts free health care plan for residents

[question everything]

S.F. board adopts free health care plan for residents

By Lisa Leff
ASSOCIATED PRESS

July 19, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously yesterday to make the city the nation's first to provide all residents with health care, approving a plan that would give adults access to medical services regardless of immigration or employment status.

Financed by local government, mandatory contributions from employers and income-adjusted premiums, the universal care plan would cover the cost of everything from checkups, prescription drugs and X-rays to ambulance rides, blood tests and operations. Unlike health insurance, it wouldn't pay for services participants seek outside San Francisco. Instead, residents would receive care at local clinics and public hospitals and from doctors who participate in an HMO for low-and middle-income clients.

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To offset the estimated annual price tag of $200 million, companies with 20 or more workers would be required to spend $1.06 for each hour worked by an employee, and those with more than 100 would have to pay $1.60 per hour up to a monthly maximum of $180 per worker. Companies that offer health coverage would still have to pay if their insurance contributions did not meet the city's funding levels.

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Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060719/news_1n19care.html

[The Straight Story]

1. I can see a huge influx of people going there soon....(nt)

[LeftCoast]

2. Have you seen the price of housing here?

It might cause a few more homeless people to come into town, but I doubt it'll make much of a difference in terms of total population.

[Sam Odom]

3. regardless of immigration... status ??

How near sighted.

[Alacrat]

4. How does SF find the money?

Other than property taxes, and the increase in employer contributions(for the health care), where do they find the money for all the progressive programs they institute?

[gaspee]

5. Tourists?

I lived in SF from 1990 to 2000. The tourists are everywhere (and as they should be -- it's the best city in the world) and I know the hotel tax fees and the car rental fees are pretty high. Retail sales from the tourists are pretty high too.

I wish I could still afford to live there, but I moved home to care for my elderly parents. And now I live for free instead of 3000 a month rent. Good thing my job is portable!

[question everything]

6. Trade off

Who is now paying for health care for the uninsured? We know that health care costs are hight since they wait until things get worse and then go to the ER.

How much does this cost SF? Perhaps they can get some arrangement that NY Medicaid has with some hospitals. Except that Medicaid is usually administered on state level.