- Member Services
- News Alerts
Lisa Ghotbi Joins HSS As Chief Operating Officer
July 19, 2010
The Health Service System has appointed Lisa Ghotbi as its Chief Operating Officer. In this position she is responsible for all operational processes relating to the administration of employee health benefits. "I am proud of the dedication and expertise of the HSS team in helping members make the best benefit choices for themselves and their family. Promoting the health and well-being of our members is our passion and providing excellent customer service is our commitment," said Lisa, who began her tenure on July 1, 2010.
Lisa holds a doctorate from the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy, and brings 17 years of health insurance industry experience to the Health Service System. Her career includes experience in clinical pharmacy, contracting, operations, data modeling and practical business management. She has expert knowledge of current health insurance industry trends, healthcare cost drivers, health data analytics and operational process improvement.
Lisa lives with her family in the Noe Valley section of San Francisco, where she is active in neighborhood associations that maintain local parks.
Monthly Coverage Periods for Active City Employees
June 24, 2010
Effective July 1, 2010, the Health Service System (HSS) is moving to monthly coverage periods for active City employees. Employee premium contributions will continue to be deducted on a twice-monthly basis. But it is important for you to know that both required premium contributions for any monthly coverage period must be paid in full for an employee and enrolled dependents to be covered during that month. If you have a change in employment status, such as a leave of absence, retirement or layoff, contact HSS to confirm when your employee healthcare coverage will end, and what options, if any, are available to you for continuing coverage when your employee premium payroll deductions end. You can reach HSS Member Services at (415) 554-1750. Download a calendar of pay dates and coverage periods:
2010-2011 Monthly Coverage Periodspdf
Supervisor Carmen Chu Appointed to Health Service System Board
June 7, 2010
Supervisor Carmen Chu has been appointed to the Health Service System Board by Mayor Gavin Newsom. She attends her first HSS board meeting on Thursday, June 10, 2010. As a City Supervisor, she serves as Chair of the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee, is a member of the Plans and Programs Committee of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), a member of the Government Audit & Oversight Committee, and serves as a Director with the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Supervisor Chu holds two degrees in public policy. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelors degree from Occidental College. Supervisor Chu also earned a Master’s degree from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was the distinguished recipient of a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) fellowship.
Wilfredo Lim Wins Election to Health Service System Board
June 7, 2010
Wilfredo Lim has been elected as one of the four HSS member representatives on the Health Service System Board. He takes his seat at the June 10, 2010 regular board meeting, which takes place at City Hall, Room 416, at 1pm.
UHC Class Action Settlement
June 7, 2010
A class action settlement has been reached in a lawsuit pending against United HealthCare Corporation (now known as UnitedHealth Group), Ingenix, Inc., Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, American Airlines, Inc., and their subsidiaries and affiliates (“Defendants”) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Case No. 00 Civ. 2800 (LMM) (GWG)). Any Health Service System members who receive a notice about this settlement should contact the Administrator, listed below. HSS cannot offer members any assistance regarding this settlement.
United HealthCare Class Action Litigation
c/o Berdon Claims Administration LLC
P.O. Box 15000
Jericho, NY 11853-0001
Phone: (800) 443-1073
Fax: (516) 222-0271
Website: www.berdonclaims.com
Email: unitedhealthcare@berdonclaimsllc.com
Municipal Attorneys' Association Negotiations Result in Employee Contribution Rates Update
May 10, 2010
The Municipal Attorneys' Association (MAA) has ratified a tentative agreement with the City & County of San Francisco. As a result, employee healthcare contribution rates for this bargaining unit have changed. (Note: the rates posted below apply to all MAA members. MAA cash back has been eliminated.) Consequently, HSS has agreed to a short deadline extension for MAA members. MAA members only may submit Open Enrollment applications to HSS through 5pm, May 14, 2010. Members should contact the MAA with any questions about these rate changes.
Updated rates for MAA memberspdf
2010 Open Enrollment applicationpdf
Federal Healthcare Reform
April 1, 2010
President Barack Obama worked with the United States Congress to pass The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a comprehensive federal health reform bill that was enacted on March 23, 2010. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a complex piece of legislation that will phase in changes over time. Per the language in the Act, many provisions will take effect at the start of the “plan year” that begins after September 23, 2010. That means for the coming Health Service
System (HSS) plan year, which begins July 1, 2010 and ends June 30, 2011, healthcare reform legislation will have minimal impact on HSS administered health benefits. Read a recent San Francisco Chronicle article on the provision for extending care to children up to age 26.
Medical plan benefits: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted March 23, 2010 will have NO impact on HSS administered medical benefits for active employees or retirees in the coming plan year, which begins July 1, 2010 and ends June 30, 2011.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs): The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes a provision that prohibits the purchase of non-prescription Over-the-Counter (OTC) items with funds from Health Care FSAs beginning on January 1, 2011. Active City and County of San Francisco employees who sign up for a Healthcare FSA during Open Enrollment should carefully calculate how much money they would like to have deducted before taxes from each paycheck. Healthcare FSA participants may want to fill out two worksheets — one for July 1-December 31, 2010 (when OTCs are an eligible expense) and another for January 1-June 30, 2011 (when OTCs are not eligible). They may also want to consider stocking up on OTCs before December 31, 2010. If you have any questions regarding how this new legislation affects FSA accounts, please contact Fringe Benefits Management Company (FBMC) at (800) 342-8017. Note: per federal regulation, retirees are not eligible for Flexible Spending Accounts.
