S.F. gives preliminary OK to universal health plan

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to make the city the nation's first to provide healthcare coverage to all residents, approving a plan to give adults access to medical services regardless of immigration or employment status. The supervisors must vote on the plan once more before it becomes final. The second vote, part of the board's standard procedure for every new ordinance, is schedule to take place July 25. The program, expected to cost about $200 million annually, has generated strong opposition in the business community. It would cover all medical services obtained within the city's limits, including checkups, laboratory tests, prescription drugs and emergency care, and would be financed by local government funds, mandatory employer contributions and income-adjusted premiums. Firms with 20 to 100 employees would be required to contribute $1.06 for each hour worked by an employee and larger employers would pay $1.60 per employee hour -- up to a monthly maximum of $180 per worker. Companies that offer health insurance would have to pay into the program if their insurance contributions fall below the city's minimum. -- by Laura B. Benko