San Francisco: The Canada of America

Tired of waiting for the state or federal government to do something about the health care crisis in this country, the San Francisco mayor/Democratic golden boy/heartthrob Gavin Newsom has decided to fix it all on his own. Today, he unveiled his very own universal health care plan.

"Rather than lamenting about the fact that we live in a country with 45.8 million Americans that don't have health insurance ... San Francisco is doing something about it," Newsom said. "San Francisco is moving forward to fulfill its moral obligation."

Newsom stressed that the so-called Health Access Plan was not meant to take the place of private health insurance, but rather provide a way to consistently treat people without insurance so they don't end up seeking medical care in hospital emergency rooms.

Unlike health insurance, for example, the city's plan would not cover the cost of any medical services its participants seek outside San Francisco, and it would not be open to people who work, but do not live, in the city.

It would provide comprehensive preventive and catastrophic health care, covering everything from checkups, prescription drugs and X-rays to ambulance rides, blood tests and surgeries.
As someone who has spent a significant amount of time living in this city without health insurance, I can only say: bravo, Mr. Newsom. As if you weren't completely assured of being elected by San Franciscans in perpetuity from the whole gay marriage thing, you're still out there going the extra mile to ensure that our fair city remains the heartland's most despised liberal mecca in the USA (we're going to get you, Massachusetts!). And we wouldn't have it any other way.

There are, of course, some kinks to be worked out first, such as how much SF businesses are going to chip into the plan.
Details of how the employer contribution would work were scheduled to be presented Wednesday to the Board of Supervisors. Approval is expected, though the details could change.

The most recent version, sponsored by Supervisor Tom Ammiano, would require every business with more than 20 employees to pay $1.60 an hour into the system for all employees not already covered by a health plan, no matter how few hours they work.

Laurie Thomas, owner of three restaurants in San Francisco, said that she already contributes to health insurance for her employees who work more than 28 hours a week, but that the hourly mandate Ammiano is proposing would put her out of business.
A restaurant in San Francisco going out of business?! Quelle surprise!

At any rate, in addition to the FREE fucking wifi we're about to get from the city, we're also possibly in line for the first universal health care plan in a city of its size south of Canuckstan. Be jealous, bitches.

web address: http://suicidegirls.com/news/all/16822/San-Francisco-The-Canada-of-America/