By Jesse Mckinley
New York Times

A federal panel of judges granted San Francisco the right on Wednesday to put in place a key part of its universal health care program as legal arguments about the first-in-the-nation plan continue. The unanimous decision, from a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, allows the city to require businesses with more than 20 employees to pay a fee to help cover employees’ health care costs, something city officials say will help about 20,000 people without insurance. Dennis Herrera, the San Francisco city attorney, said the ruling would greatly strengthen the health plan, which has already signed up nearly 8,000 residents. Read more »

By Paul Elias
Associated Press

San Francisco can provide health care to the uninsured and have city businesses help pay for it while a lawsuit challenging the controversial program is decided, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. A lower court in December had struck down key provisions of the city program, a first of its kind in the nation, that would essentially add a business tax to pay for a plan that envisions covering about 80,000 people and costing $200 million. The city estimates that as many as 20,000 uninsured workers are eligible. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday it appears that the city's program will ultimately prevail. Read more »

By John M. Glionna
Los Angeles Times

Forget the driver's license and credit cards. The most important piece of plastic in Cheng Wang's wallet is his new medical identification card featuring a picture of a heart and this city's signature skyline. Wang, who has diabetes and other ailments, says the Healthy San Francisco program saved his life. When he immigrated here in May to be closer to his elderly mother, the 64-year-old Taiwan native brought enough pills to last seven months. When those ran out, he didn't know what to do. He had no medical insurance. And it scared him. Then he learned about a groundbreaking city health plan that provides a network of care to residents regardless of their ability to pay, immigration status or existing medical conditions. Read more »

By John Arensmeyer
Founder and CEO of Small Business Majority

California's small business owners, who employ over 50% of the private sector workforce, are fed up with our health care crisis; they want bold action now, and they are more than ready to be part of the solution. Other business groups, who focus their energies on opposing all meaningful health care reform, do not speak for the millions of California's entrepreneurs who know that the inability to obtain affordable health care for their families and their employees severely impedes California's economic progress and hampers their pursuit of the American Dream. Read more »

By Jane Meredith Adams
Chicago Tribune

As Democratic presidential candidates unveil proposals for universal or near-universal health care for all Americans, San Franciscans already are signing up for a new program that guarantees free or sliding-scale medical care to all uninsured adults. The program provides a network of care to city residents, regardless of existing medical conditions, immigration status or ability to pay. The plan began in pilot form in July. Expanding citywide this week, it is the first attempt by an American city to tackle the health-care crisis, with the assistance of state and federal funds. Unlike other universal health-care plans being proposed, Healthy San Francisco is not insurance -- because health coverage doesn't travel with the individual. Care is provided and paid for only at clinics and hospitals in San Francisco. Read more »

By Heather Knight
San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco's unique experiment in providing health care for all its residents took a significant step forward Monday - moving beyond its trial phase at two clinics in Chinatown and into 20 additional clinics around the city. The expansion comes as the national debate over how to solve the country's health care problem continues to rage. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday announced her national plan for universal health care should she be elected president, and California lawmakers are in a special session trying to hammer out a state plan for health care.

Read more »

By Sandra Hernandez, MD and Steve Heilig, MPH

The American health care system is ailing. It is inefficient, expensive, and worst of all, often inhumane. These long-recognized faults are once again receiving serious and widespread attention at the national, state, and local levels. At this point, however, the practical results of current efforts at “healthcare reform” on a broad scale remain to be seen.

San Francisco does not have to wait for broader action to improve healthcare access and quality on the local level. Local efforts have already embodied at least one aspect of true “San Francisco values” - that, as the famous Haight-Ashbury Free Clinics proclaimed exactly 40 years ago – “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.” Read more »

In the heat of the last campaign for Mayor, Michael Moore didn’t support Gavin Newsom.  Since then, Mayor Newsom has led San Francisco to become one of the greenest cities in the world and has stood up for same sex marriage when most other politicians ran the other way. And he, along with Supervisor Tom Ammiano and our partners in labor and the health care community are delivering universal health care for every San Franciscan. Read more »