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Healthy S.F. Plan to Open Enrollment

Healthy San Francisco, the city’s new universal health care plan, is scheduled to open its enrollment to all residents Jan. 2. Residents can enroll, regardless of income or immigration status, if they are 18-64 years of age, have not been insured for at least 90 days and are not eligible for other government-sponsored programs such as Medi-Cal or Healthy Families.
Participant fees are paid quarterly on a sliding scale. A single person with an income of $851 a month or less (that is, 100 percent of the federal poverty level) would likely pay nothing. With an income of up to $1,702 (200 percent of FPL), the quarterly payment would be $60. For a three-person household, there would be no charge for income up to $1,431 and a $60 charge for income up to $2,862. (The income thresholds might vary for some participants.) Enrollees might also have to pay a small fee for services.
The plan is not health insurance. Services are only available from participating providers in the city.
The Golden Gate Restaurant Association has challenged the Healthy San Francisco plan in federal court. A judge held a hearing on the case Nov. 2 and is expected to rule shortly. The city says that even if the challenge is successful, it will enroll all residents up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level in the plan. For one person, that would be up to $2,553 a month.
For information about Healthy San Francisco, call 311.

If you live outside San Francisco, here are some contact numbers for information about free or low-cost county health services:

Alameda:
(510) 747-4500

Contra Costa:
(800) 211-8040

San Mateo:
(800) 750-7762
(650) 573-3595