Healthy San Francisco

What Healthy San Francisco does

Healthy San Francisco (HSF) is a municipal health access program, not a commercial enterprise. Created in 2006 by the San Francisco Department of Public Health and administered by the San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP) as third-party administrator, HSF provides low-cost health care access to uninsured San Francisco residents aged 18+ with household incomes at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level. The program explicitly states it is not health insurance but rather a limited health access program, and it actively refers eligible participants to Medi-Cal, Covered California, and other public insurance programs when they qualify.

The program's core technology is a web-based enrollment and administration ecosystem: the HSFConnect pre-enrollment portal (hosted on Redmane Cloud) for eligibility self-screening, appointment scheduling, and document upload/download; the HSF Payment Portal for online fee collection via credit card, debit card, and electronic check; and an integrated Medical Home Network of 30+ clinics comprising San Francisco Department of Public Health facilities, San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC) clinics, and other city providers including Kaiser Permanente. Care delivery covers primary and specialty care, prescriptions, hospital care, mental health and behavioral health services, lab tests, family planning, durable medical equipment, and emergency ambulance transportation within San Francisco. Enrollment is facilitated through Certified Application Assistors at 30+ enrollment sites and the SFHP Service Center at 550 Kearny Street.

HSF has no commercial revenue model. It is funded through City and County of San Francisco government appropriations via the Department of Public Health, with employer contributions channeled through the SF City Option program under the San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO). Participant fees are nominal cost-sharing on an income-based sliding scale ($0–$450 per quarter). The program is not VC- or PE-backed, is not privately held, and operates as a publicly funded municipal health access initiative. Headcount is 11–50 employees. Customer concentration is structurally defined: a single geographic market (San Francisco), a single customer segment (uninsured residents), and a single funding source (SFDPH appropriations).

Name

Healthy San Francisco

Legal name

San Francisco Health Plan

Website

https://healthysanfrancisco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Healthy San Francisco is a municipal health access program created in 2006 by the San Francisco Department of Public Health that provides low-cost primary, specialty, prescription, and hospital care to uninsured San Francisco residents at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Healthy San Francisco is a health access program funded by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH). The program does not generate revenue in the traditional sense but is sustained through city government appropriations and may receive employer contributions through the SF City Option program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Healthy San Francisco is a municipal health access program (not insurance) that provides low-cost comprehensive health care to uninsured adult residents of San Francisco. Coverage is delivered through a Medical Home network of 30+ clinics and includes primary and specialty care, prescription medications, hospital care, mental health and behavioral health services, lab tests, family planning, durable medical equipment, and emergency ambulance transportation within San Francisco.

Product overview

Healthy San Francisco (HSF) is a health care access program created by the San Francisco Department of Public Health in 2006. It is not health insurance but rather a limited health access program designed to make health care low-cost and accessible for uninsured San Francisco residents. The program operates through a network of Medical Homes and offers core services including primary and specialty care, prescription medications, hospital care, mental health services, emergency transportation, lab tests, and family planning. The ecosystem includes the HSFConnect online portal for pre-enrollment and document management, the HSF Payment Portal for fee collection, and the SFHP Service Center for in-person and phone enrollment support. The Medical Home Network comprises San Francisco Department of Public Health clinics and San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium clinics where participants receive their care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Healthy San Francisco (HSF) Health Access Program A municipal health access program (not insurance) created in 2006 by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, offering low-cost health care to uninsured adult residents of San Francisco. It provides primary care, specialty care, prescriptions, hospital care, mental health services, and emergency transportation within San Francisco through a network of Medical Homes.
• HSFConnect Portal Online pre-enrollment portal allowing potential participants to self-screen for eligibility, schedule enrollment appointments, download document templates, and upload required documents.
• HSF Payment Portal Online payment portal allowing participants to pay their quarterly participant fees using credit cards, debit cards, and electronic checks.
• Medical Home Network A network of health care facilities including San Francisco Department of Public Health clinics, San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium clinics, Kaiser Permanente, and other providers within the City and County of San Francisco where HSF participants receive their primary and specialty care.
• Prescription Drug Coverage Prescription medication coverage through HSF, with medications ordered by Medical Home doctors and picked up at each Medical Home's designated pharmacy, subject to drug formulary approval.
• Behavioral Health Services Inpatient and outpatient mental health care services, including counseling for depression, anxiety, and panic, as well as alcohol and drug treatment through Behavioral Health Services (BHS).
• SFHP Service Center Service center providing in-person and phone appointment scheduling for enrollment assistance, helping residents apply for HSF, Medi-Cal, Covered California, and CalFresh programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coverage valid for 12 months with annual renewal required
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006DPH is the parent government agency that created and administers Healthy San Francisco. DPH operates the San Francisco Health Network (SFHN) including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Laguna Honda Hospital, and 15+ primary care and specialty health centers that serve as Medical Homes for HSF participants.
• San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP)coreTechnology or IntegrationSFHP serves as the third-party administrator for HSF, managing provider agreements, HSF grant payments, and operational systems including the HSFConnect enrollment portal and payment processing. Manages non-DPH Medical Home network relationships.
• San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSFCCC clinics are part of the HSF Medical Home Network, providing primary and specialty healthcare services to HSF participants. SFCCC member clinics include Lyon-Martin Community Health Services, Mission Neighborhood Health Center, and other community health centers.
• SF City Option ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSF City Option is a health benefits program that includes SF Medical Reimbursement Accounts for employees. It is one way for San Francisco employers to meet the Employer Spending Requirement of the HCSO. HSF is part of the SF City Option Program.
• Behavioral Health Services (BHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHS provides mental health and substance use services to HSF participants requiring higher levels of behavioral health care. Participants can access inpatient and outpatient mental health services through BHS with referrals from their Medical Home.
• Kaiser PermanenteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKaiser Permanente serves as a Medical Home provider for HSF participants, offering healthcare services through their network as part of the HSF provider network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• CareOregon: Non-profit Medicaid managed care plan serving Oregon's safety-net population, including uninsured bridge programs. Similar mission, population, and Medical Home-style care coordination approach.
• BMC HealthNet Plan (WellSense Health Plan): Non-profit health plan serving MassHealth and uninsured populations in Massachusetts with a mission aligned to HSF. Comparable safety-net orientation and clinic-network distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Kaiser Permanente: Major integrated payer-provider system that participates as a Medical Home in the HSF network. Comparable as a broad incumbent that touches HSF's covered services but operates on a vastly different (commercial + integrated) model.

Others

• Community Health Center Network (CHCN): Network of community health centers in Alameda County contracting with managed care plans. Comparable in clinic-network structure and mission to the SFCCC clinics that anchor HSF's Medical Home network.

Direct peers

• LA Care Health Plan: The largest publicly-operated health plan in the U.S., serving Los Angeles County's low-income and uninsured residents through Medi-Cal and similar safety-net programs. Comparable mission, public governance, and county-wide access model.
• CalOptima: Orange County's public health plan serving Medi-Cal and uninsured residents, including a community safety-net program similar in structure to HSF. Comparable county-mandated access program with sliding-scale fees.
• San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP): The third-party administrator that actually operates Healthy San Francisco; a local, publicly-oriented Medicaid managed care plan serving Medi-Cal and HSF participants. Most direct peer given its role as the operating entity.

Regional players

• Contra Costa Health Plan: County-operated health plan in Contra Costa County that serves Medi-Cal and uninsured residents through an integrated provider network. Comparable county-run safety-net model.
• Health Plan of San Mateo: Locally-governed health plan serving San Mateo County Medi-Cal and safety-net populations. Operates a similar publicly-mandated model to HSF but in an adjacent Bay Area county.
• Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP): Large public health plan serving Medi-Cal and uninsured residents across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Operates a comparable publicly-mandated safety-net access model in a different California region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HealthySF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Healthy San Francisco