Heads up to contract attorneys: the San Francisco Health insurance program

16 July 2014 – We have been bombarded with emails about the San Francisco Health insurance program ever since word got out that several document review staffing firms in San Francisco have been audited for not complying with the San Francisco law. A number of contract attorneys have been called by the San Francisco audit team and various letters have been issued. We were able to determine via our own sources that there is indeed an audit in progress. And given a few agencies have moved out of handling placements from San Francisco due to “costs” one suspects the departures are more related to having to comply with the health program requirements.

A link to the San Francisco health program: http://sfcityoption.org

In a nutshell: if a business is located within San Francisco, employees either get to participate in the San Francisco Health insurance program, or if you are like scores of contract attorneys that live outside the area but come into San Francisco, you can opt to have a self-directed medical insurance account.

Roughly, you should receive $2/hr (in addition to your hourly rate) and for out-of-the-area contract attorneys it is a deposit into a special account you manage, with a deduction of $2.75/month for an administrative fee.

Most staffing agencies have been paying it. Many have not. But when word of the audit hit, scores of contract attorneys were writing to us and saying “Jesus, out of the blue XXXX told me they made a health plan deposit for me for a project I did months ago!” We posit: not a coincidence.

Read about the program (start with the helpful FAQ) and check with your agency to make sure you are eligible, they comply, you get notices, etc.