To: Members of San Francisco Board of Supervisors
From: Fred Sanchez, President, Protect Our Benefits, Inc.

Your second reading and vote at the July 30th full board meeting to approve financing for all healthcare provided to active and retired members of the Health Service System, when passed (as it appears it certainly will be) will be deeply disappointing to the POB Board of Directors and the 17,500 retiree members of United Health Care Medicare Advantage PPO Plan (UHC), a majority of whom will be involuntarily shifted to Blue Shield of California (BSC) on January 1, 2025.

Our Board understands that the bundling together of all healthcare plans for both active and retired employees made it impossible for the Health Service System Board to revisit and correct the many defects in process and procedure they made in making the change, as perceived by POB and others. We see this action as done to ram through this unwanted change with as little public input as possible and to make the change regardless of the wishes of the members or public.

We appreciate the concerns expressed by Supervisor Chan during the Budget and Finance Committee hearing regarding the possible health risks to UHC members after the change takes place. We also appreciate the concerns voiced by Supervisor Peskin made during the July 22nd full board meeting regarding the removal of Dr. Follansbee (a mayoral appointee) in order to facilitate reversal of the Health Service System’s Board’s June 7th vote to retain UHC done on June 18th. We believe there were violations of HSS procedure at the least and Charter violations at the worst.

We note, with disgust, that public comment was made difficult or constrained during HSS and Board of Supervisors meetings in June and July. The one minute allowed for comment was ridiculously short which prevented the public from fully addressing their grievances.

Any impacts of this involuntary shift will begin to become more evident as Open Enrollment occurs this October and certainly after the coverage changes in January. These impacts will most probably prompt further action by POB and other organizations.

POB and many allied organizations are committed to working with you and the Health Service System Board in the future to rectify healthcare quality issues and mitigate hardships we perceive and may be forced to suffer. Still, we caution you that we will not tolerate backroom maneuvers or deals nor the balancing of the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable members. WE WILL BE KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT EACH OF YOU DO! AND WE VOTE!!

Fred Sanchez
President/Protect Our Benefits