Officials believe that the city can provide "universal and sensibly managed care to the uninsured for about the amount being spent on their treatment now, often in emergency rooms."

Sack's report documents the unique nature of San Francisco as a community, including its political atmosphere, compact geography, unified city-county government structure, and a network of public and community clinics, as factors contributing to the innovative and aggressive public policy benefiting the city's uninsured.

Until November, enrollment of patients in the plan will be limited to those with incomes below the federal poverty level. After this initial period of enrollment, the program will be open to any uninsured adult living in the city.

The goal is to sign up 45,000 during the first year. The city will test the capacity of its medical infrastructure as it expands the enrollment.

By forging stronger connections between public and community-based, non-profit clinics, the city hopes to create a strong system of managed care for the uninsured. The goal is to turn the readily accessible clinics into medical homes for the uninsured.

What a bold move by a great city!

Possibly San Francisco will discover the secrets to making available universal health care coverage to all Americans. One thing seems clear at this point: this city cares about all of its people and it is taking a reasonable approach to solving pressing "bottom line" problems at the same time.

Sounds like a win-win to me.

From the Healthy San Francisco website:

Healthy San Francisco is an innovative program designed to make healthcare services accessible and affordable to uninsured San Francisco residents. It is operated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH).

Healthy San Francisco is not insurance, but a reinvention of the San Francisco healthcare safety net, that will enable and encourage residents to access primary and preventive care. It provides a Medical Home and primary physician to each program participant, allowing a greater focus on preventive care, as well as specialty care, urgent and emergency care, laboratory, inpatient hospitalization, radiology, and pharmaceuticals.

It is the culmination of Mayor Newsom's 2005 State of the City pledge to provide universal healthcare access to the city's estimated 82,000 uninsured.