Mayor Lee Issues Executive Directive & Signs Legislation To Increase Access To Health Care & Protect Jobs
Mayoral Executive Directive & Legislation Close Health Reimbursement Account Loophole
11/23/11 - San Francisco, CA—Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued a Mayoral Executive Directive that requires City departments to collect detailed data on companies that provide health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) and requires additional education and outreach to San Francisco workers to more effectively access available health care. Mayor Lee also signed Board legislation to close a loophole in San Francisco’s Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO). The dual action preserves the City’s groundbreaking universal health care access and protects jobs.
“We must ensure that workers have better access to health care today,” said Mayor Lee. “This Executive Directive, in tandem with recently passed legislation from the Board of Supervisors, immediately sets us on a path to improving health care access for San Francisco workers and protects local jobs. I applaud President Chiu, Supervisor Cohen, organized labor, small business owners, and the Department of Public Health for working together to strengthen our City’s landmark Health Care Security Ordinance and closing this loophole.”
The Executive Directive requires the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) to collect additional data on an ongoing basis from employers covered under the HCSO. OLSE and the Small Business Commission will conduct employee outreach to educate workers and small business owners about HCSO obligations. The Department of Public Health with OLSE will educate workers about how to effectively utilize the broad range of health services that can be used with an HRA and the availability of subsidized health care services and focus on the benefits of primary and preventative care. The Mayor’s Office will conduct a qualitative research effort of covered employees to understand and act on real or perceived barriers to accessing HRA funds.
The Executive Directive complements legislation that takes an important step in closing a number of loopholes in the original HCSO including ensuring that there will always be a minimum of 24 months of HRA funding available to an employee for health care needs. This is a major step forward for workers. By ensuring a stable, rolling balance is available in HRAs, employees will be more likely to draw those funds down to access primary and preventative care, and to buy into the City option – Healthy San Francisco – with these funds. The goal is to ensure that employers are not being overly restrictive and disallowing HRAs to be used for City plan participation fees or private health insurance premiums.
11/23/11 - San Francisco, CA—Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued a Mayoral Executive Directive that requires City departments to collect detailed data on companies that provide health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) and requires additional education and outreach to San Francisco workers to more effectively access available health care. Mayor Lee also signed Board legislation to close a loophole in San Francisco’s Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO). The dual action preserves the City’s groundbreaking universal health care access and protects jobs.
“We must ensure that workers have better access to health care today,” said Mayor Lee. “This Executive Directive, in tandem with recently passed legislation from the Board of Supervisors, immediately sets us on a path to improving health care access for San Francisco workers and protects local jobs. I applaud President Chiu, Supervisor Cohen, organized labor, small business owners, and the Department of Public Health for working together to strengthen our City’s landmark Health Care Security Ordinance and closing this loophole.”
The Executive Directive requires the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) to collect additional data on an ongoing basis from employers covered under the HCSO. OLSE and the Small Business Commission will conduct employee outreach to educate workers and small business owners about HCSO obligations. The Department of Public Health with OLSE will educate workers about how to effectively utilize the broad range of health services that can be used with an HRA and the availability of subsidized health care services and focus on the benefits of primary and preventative care. The Mayor’s Office will conduct a qualitative research effort of covered employees to understand and act on real or perceived barriers to accessing HRA funds.
The Executive Directive complements legislation that takes an important step in closing a number of loopholes in the original HCSO including ensuring that there will always be a minimum of 24 months of HRA funding available to an employee for health care needs. This is a major step forward for workers. By ensuring a stable, rolling balance is available in HRAs, employees will be more likely to draw those funds down to access primary and preventative care, and to buy into the City option – Healthy San Francisco – with these funds. The goal is to ensure that employers are not being overly restrictive and disallowing HRAs to be used for City plan participation fees or private health insurance premiums.