Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement applauding the United States Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama in 2010, which expands health insurance options for families across the country:

“This is a critical step forward in acknowledging health care as a basic human right. The Affordable Care Act improves the health of millions of Americans and provides families with the security they need.

I applaud President Obama’s leadership in making health care access a priority nationwide and Leader Nancy Pelosi for her efforts in advancing universal health care in San Francisco and throughout the nation. I also acknowledge the work of the Supreme Court for thoughtfully considering and ruling on this very important issue.

San Francisco understands the vital importance of providing health care services for everyone and provides access to quality care for uninsured adult residents through our nationally-recognized and replicated Healthy San Francisco program since 2007, created under the leadership of then Mayor Gavin Newsom.

With the implementation of federal health care reform, many of those in our health access program now will be eligible to enroll in and receive federal/state funded health insurance starting in 2014. We will continue our Healthy San Francisco program to focus on those who remain uninsured and in need of safety net services.”

The San Francisco Department of Public Health and Human Services Agency have already started to prepare for the implementation of federal health care reform and will continue to work with local partners and departments in the California Health and Human Services Agency on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. This will help ensure a seamless transition of the uninsured into health insurance programs.