After months of gathering signatures, meeting with elected officials and speaking out at hearings at City Hall, ACORN members’ hard work paid off when the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass the San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance. Sponsored by Supervisor Tom Ammiano, the landmark legislation requires medium and large businesses to pay their fair share and provide health coverage for their workers. The ordinance also establishes a Health Access Program, which gives 82,000 uninsured San Franciscans access to comprehensive healthcare services.

“This is a great day for uninsured San Franciscans,” said ACORN leader Giselle Quezada. “The San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance is truly historic legislation. This is definitely going to make our communities healthier.”

Under the legislation large companies (100 or more workers) will be required to spend a minimum of $1.60 an hour per employee on health care services. Medium-sized companies (20-99 workers) will be required to spend a minimum of $1.06 an hour per employee on health care services. Small companies (less than 20 workers) are exempt.

The San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance also establishes a Health Access Program (HAP) which provides preventative care, hospitalization services, emergency care, specialty care, prescription drugs and a “medical home” for primary care for those San Franciscans who were previously uninsured. Participants in the HAP will receive care through the Department of Public Health, non profit hospitals and clinics.

ACORN members made their voices heard on ABC 7, Univision, Telemundo, NBC 11, KRON 4, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bayview Newspaper, Beyondchron and the San Francisco Examiner.

Throughout the campaign ACORN staff and leaders worked closely with a coalition of labor and community allies to help craft this legislation and coordinate the campaign, those groups included the San Francisco Labor Council, Supervisor Ammiano's staff, SEIU, UNITE HERE, Senior Action Network and Young Workers United.