Silver Lining: BSC Has Pledged to Work With Retirees to Buffer the Change

We’ll Be Holding them Accountable: Report Your Problems to Us

On Aug.6, the San Francisco Health Services System made it final. Following weeks of protests from hundreds of POB and coalition retiree members, the HSS board voted to adopt Blue Shield CA as the official healthcare PPO effective Jan. 1, 2025. The 17,500 San Francisco city and county retirees currently enrolled in the United Healthcare PPO will automatically be transitioned over to the new plan at the beginning of the year.

While we were not successful in keeping the UHC plan, we did extract some significant concessions from BSC and HSS to help ease the transition. Most significantly. Blue Shield has promised to work with every doctor and hospital who have said they do not accept Blue Shield CA between now and January 1, 2025. As long as the doctors and hospitals accepted United Healthcare Medicare Advantage PPO, BSC will make sure they are paid the same co-pays, payments and deductibles.

They have also set up a hotline number for members who are having problems or questions about coverage:
800/ 370-8852 (open 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week) as well as a website https://myoptions.blueshieldca.com/sfhss_retiree for members to learn about the transition process and log any problems they may be having.

Between now and Jan. 1, 2025, you will continue to be covered by United Healthcare. The transition to BSC will begin after the first of the year. In the meantime, be sure to check with your doctor or hospital and connect them with the Blue Shield representatives. Report any problems to us at information@protectourbenefits.org or fill out the form here: https://protectourbenefits.org/tell-us-your-story/

We will continue to monitor Blue Shield CA during this transition and hold them to their promises. We will be meeting in the coming weeks with both HSS and BSC to find out more details, and to ensure as easy a transition as possible. We will keep you updated.

See below for a copy of the transition plan.