Court Upholds Legality of SanFran Health Plan
San Francisco's landmark universal health care program can continue to operate, after an appeals court ruled Tuesday that it does not violate federal law.
The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision that the program, dubbed Healthy San Francisco, had placed an undue financial burden on struggling businesses.
Healthy San Francisco is the first plan in the country to offer universal coverage, and requires companies with at least 20 workers to provide health care or give part of each employee's hourly salary to the city as a fee to help offset the program's estimated $200 million cost.
The monthly fee is capped at $180 per worker for businesses with more than 100 employees.
The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision that the program, dubbed Healthy San Francisco, had placed an undue financial burden on struggling businesses.
Healthy San Francisco is the first plan in the country to offer universal coverage, and requires companies with at least 20 workers to provide health care or give part of each employee's hourly salary to the city as a fee to help offset the program's estimated $200 million cost.
The monthly fee is capped at $180 per worker for businesses with more than 100 employees.
