Through a unanimous decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, San Francisco has been given the green light to go forward with their health care plan.
The health care plan is a new plan by the city to help people without health insurance. The law states that businesses with more than 20 employees must pay a fee to help cover employees’ health care costs. Businesses are required to pay a minimum health care contribution of $1.17 to $1.76 per hour for each employee.
The fees will help those without health insurance, as well as other things.
City officials have stated that there are 20,000 people without health insurance who will be helped thanks to this law.
Judge William Fletcher wrote “There may be better ways to provide health care than to require private employers to foot the bill.” Fletcher stated though it was not up to the court to evaluate the plan, just to say whether it was legal or not, and it is legal.
The judges voted all in favor of the law, 3-0.