Hospitals Help San Francisco Expand its Universal Health Care Program

In the wake of a report lambasting some private hospitals for not providing enough charity care to justify the tax breaks they receive, five private and not-for-profit hospitals said last week that they would treat patients enrolled in San Francisco’s year-old universal health care plan.

The city launched Healthy San Francisco (HSF) to cover its estimated 82,000 uninsured residents. So far, about 25,000 have enrolled in the plan, which has provided enrollees with primary care services at 27 community clinics and inpatient services at San Francisco General.

Now non-profit hospitals St Francis and St. Mary’s, which are owned by Catholic Healthcare West, say they will provide inpatient care for specific clinic-affiliated HSF enrollees at a cost of no more than $250 per hospital admission. Private hospitals California Pacific Medical Center and Chinese Hospital have agreed to do the same for thousands of HSF enrollees.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Community Health Care Association has agreed to take HSF enrollees, and the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center will provide referral-based diagnostic imaging services at its China Basin facility for HSF participants. All fees paid by HSF members will go to the city’s universal health care fund.

insideARM reported in March that a new tax law requiring tax-exempt hospitals to provide more details about their charity care could lead them to provide more free or discounted care ("Tax Change Could Reduce Charity Care by For-Profit Hospitals," March 5).  Some industry analysts say such a trend could trim discount and charity care expenses at for-profits provide and help lower medical bad debt.

Earlier this year, a report by the city’s Department of Public Health which operated the universal health coverage plan showed that San Francisco’s private and not-for-profit hospitals were receiving $79 million in charity care related tax breaks, but providing $16 million in free care, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Under the agreement with HSF, St. Francis will provide inpatient services to HSF participants who have Glide Health Services as their primary care medical facility. St. Mary’s will provide inpatient services to HSF enrollees whose primary care services are provided at Sister Mary Phillipa Clinic.

The California Pacific Medical Center will provide inpatient services to HSF participants who have North East Medical Services as their primary care medical home; and the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center will provide referral-based diagnostic imaging services at its China Basin facility for HSF participants.