Newsom begins universal health care access without Ammiano funding legislation

Frustrated supervisors urge merger of Ammiano and Newsom plans into single legislation

Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Pat Murphy

July 6, 2006

City departments will begin retooling immediately to provide universal health care access in San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom's office reported Wednesday.

The move sidesteps full funding legislation developed by Supervisor Tom Ammiano.

As early as today, Newsom will redirect City agencies now spending $104 million annually of the projected $198 million full cost to implement the San Francisco Health Access Plan (SFHAP) agreed upon by a range of stakeholders June 20.

The mayor's options include issuing an executive directive or more formal reorganization of departments depending on City Attorney advice, mayoral press secretary Peter Ragone told the Sentinel yesterday.

Cost for broadening SFHAP to all eligible San Franciscans, an estimate raised yesterday to 85,000 health care consumers, requires additional funding over the $104 million now spent. The SFHAP plan calls for an additional $56 million generated by user co-payments.

Estimates are based SFHAP enrollment by all 85,000 residents eligible, however costs drop proportionately to smaller enrollment.

Based on full 85,000 enrollment, the Ammiano separate but parallel measure, which requires employers to provide health care insurance coverage for a larger number of employees, would raise the additional funding.

Although labor and business leaders support SFHAP the level of employer contribution remains in dispute. Newsom supports required employer contributions, come to be known as 'the mandate.' Newsom has not signed on to specific employer requirements of Ammiano's Worker Healthcare Security Act (WHSA).

Even so, Newsom's head of the City Health Department yesterday described WHSA as essential to SFHAP success.

"I believe from a health policy point of view that the Health Access Plan cannot successfully go forward without the legislation that Supervisor Ammiano is carrying as well," Dr. Mitch Katz told a committee of the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Dr. Mitch Katz

"I do see them as two legislations that were meant to fit together and do fit together. One can't succeed without the other."

And committee members expressing frustration with lack of funding agreement yesterday urged merger of both measures into single legislation.

The Budget and Finance Committee will reconvene Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. to make that recommendation with WHSA amendments offered yesterday.

Hours later the full Board of Supervisors could adopt the recommendation at its 2:00 p.m. meeting.

The committee recommended WHSA amendments including:

-- Delaying employer contribution from July, 2007, to July 8, 2008.

-- Requiring the City Controller to report quarterly on WHSA impact on the City budget, on the City's health care delivery system, and on impact on the San Francisco economy.

-- Requiring a similar report from the City Labor Standards and Enforcement Agency.

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