On June 10, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved legislation to close a loophole which allowed businesses to keep unspent money from workers healthcare spending accounts.
For ten years, businesses have been profiting, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, off this loophole while workers suffer the consequences. As part of Healthy San Francisco, the city’s universal health care ordinance, companies can choose to pay into a fund that is supposed to go to worker’s health care.
But the companies can take back that money after two years if its unused. Now the funds will be irrevocable and able to be used to subsidize workers.
The legislation was the result of activism on the part of many organization and individuals. Labor and health care activists attended the board of supervisors hearing to celebrate as the legislation was passed.
Don Bechler, coordinator of Single Payer Now, said “This is a victory for undocumented workers and other workers who find the Affordable Care Act too expensive.” Healthy San Francisco, unlike the ACA, does give workers access to health care regardless of immigration status.
