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Supervisors forward HSS rate package amid sharp public debate over Kaiser pricing and transparency
Summary
The Budget & Finance Subcommittee sent Health Service System rate items to the full Board without recommendation after extended testimony from HSS staff, Kaiser Permanente and union and community speakers who pressed Kaiser on profits and data transparency. Supervisors sought written commitments on data sharing and wellness support before final action.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Subcommittee on July 17 forwarded the Health Service System's (HSS) proposed 2014 rates and contribution schedule to the full Board without recommendation after a daylong hearing that focused on Kaiser Permanente's rate proposal and requests for additional transparency.
HSS interim CFO Greg Sass told the committee the Kaiser renewal reflects a roughly 3.48 percent premium component tied to claims experience and utilization, plus additional federal taxes, and that approving the package now would protect continuity for about 46,000 Kaiser members and 107,000 total HSS members ahead of open enrollment. "It's a fully insured plan," Sass said, arguing the year-over-year increase was within expected health-care inflation for providers that operate hospitals.
The hearing became a flashpoint over demands for data and accountability. Multiple union leaders, Health…
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