Michael Stoll

<p>In 2007, San Francisco embarked on a rare and bold experiment, resolving to provide universal health care to its residents. Four years later, Healthy San Francisco has an enrollment of 54,000 people — between half and three-quarters of the estimated uninsured population. But the city has dug deep

<p>A San Francisco requirement that businesses pay for their employees’ health needs has led to more workers having some form of health care. But after businesses initially stepped up to buy private health insurance for more of their workers, there has been a steady retreat.</p>

<p>Most participants in Healthy San Francisco, the city’s 2007 initiative to expand care to more than 50,000 uninsured patients, appreciate the overall access to preventative care and treatment for chronic health conditions.</p>

<p>The San Francisco Department of Public Health says it is ahead of the curve in rolling out databases that keep tabs on tens of thousands of patients across a citywide network of clinics and hospitals.</p>

<p>Four years ago, San Francisco launched a grand experiment, becoming the first city in the nation to offer comprehensive health care to its growing ranks of uninsured.</p>