WHEREAS, in 1995 the San Francisco Health Commission approved a revised sliding fee scale and program guidelines to standardize eligibility policies at the community oriented primary care health centers and San Francisco General Hospital for patients who, after thorough eligibility screening, are found to have no sponsorship and are indigent, or have limited income and would otherwise be unable to pay for the full costs for their medical services; and,

WHEREAS, the Department of Public Health approved the creation of one uniform sliding fee scale consistent with the creation of one network of community-based primary care and outpatient services; and,

WHEREAS, this sliding fee scale policy would apply to all patients who fall at or above 100% of the federal poverty level, the lowest income level where patients are assessed a share of cost; and,

WHEREAS, the Department proposes that the sliding fee scale policy be revised to include the monthly share of cost assessment for dental services rendered at the community oriented primary care health centers, and that while the same eligibility screening process is adopted, the dental sliding fee scale will be applied separately from the monthly medical sliding fee scale; and,

WHEREAS, the Department proposes that the Community Health Network of San Francisco adopt a $10.00 per month minimum share of cost for primary care and/or dental services that would be assessed to all patients with share of cost liability; and,

WHEREAS, San Francisco General Hospital may also assess a share of cost to patients being admitted electively or emergently, and to patients scheduled for ambulatory surgery, and those patients that fall between 100% and 160% of the federal poverty level with a minimum share of cost of $150.00 per episode; and,

WHEREAS, it is deemed that only residents of the City and County of San Francisco are eligible for sliding scale programs; and,

WHEREAS, any and all fees may be waived upon determination of severe financial hardship and that no medically necessary services will be denied because of inability to pay; and,

WHEREAS, patients who are eligible for benefit programs, including Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, other third party or any other coverage are required to utilize these benefit programs before being considered for sliding fee scale programs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Health Commission adopts and approves the revised fee scales and program guidelines and authorizes the Director of Health to direct responsible staff to ensure that the programs are uniformly applied at all appropriate service sites.

I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Health Commission at its meeting of Tuesday, November 17, 1998.

Sandy Ouye Mori, Executive Secretary to the Health Commission