Our History

In February 2006, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom created a Universal Healthcare Council (UHC) to develop a plan to provide access to health care for San Francisco's uninsured adults.  This collaborative effort, comprised of representatives from the health care, business, labor, philanthropy and research communities, met for four months. The Council reviewed demographic and actuarial data, and heard from community advocates and employers to identify and quantify the needs of the uninsured.

Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Tom Ammiano

In a report released June 2006, the UHC presented its recommendations for the development and implementation of a San Francisco Health Access Program (SF HAP).  Shortly thereafter, Supervisor Tom Ammiano incorporated the SF HAP into his Worker Health Care Security Ordinance (WHCSO).  The ordinance, which passed unanimously on July 18, 2006, calls for implementation of SF HAP in tandem with an employer spending requirement.  The date set in the ordinance is July 1, 2007.

In April 2007, SF HAP became Healthy San Francisco. 

Unlike past City and County efforts to serve the uninsured, Healthy San Francisco is not health insurance. It will instead provide a primary medical home to participants, allowing a greater focus on preventive care, as well as a specialty care, urgent and emergency care, mental health care, substance abuse services, laboratory, inpatient hospitalization, radiology, and pharmaceuticals. Healthy San Francisco will be administered by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH).