The 13 community partners collaborating on this community awareness campaign have developed this list of resources to make it easier for you to find the following:
- Help for the uninsured or underinsured consumers/patients
- Information for policy makers, advocates and those wishing to volunteer
- Research on the uninsured/underinsured
- Solutions or best practices
Help for the Uninsured or Underinsured Consumer/Patient
Community Action Network http://www.caction.org
A local organization that engages the community in a planning process that coordinates resources
insure-a-kid http://www.insureakid.org/
An Austin-area service to help you apply for low cost health insurance provided by Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) and Medicaid
The Seton Family of Hospitals http://www.Seton.net
The region’s largest community service organization
GoodHealth.com http://www.goodhealth.com
Comprehensive health-related information and free screenings and classes
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas http://www.dellchildrens.net
Learn about the specialty centers and support services for children
Seton Health Plan for Central Texas http://www.setonhealthplan.com
Information on the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) and a health plan option for employers to offer to employees
Austin/Travis County MHMR Center http://www.atcmhmr.com/links/index.html
A comprehensive list of community services
Texans Care for Children http://www.texanscareforchildren.org
An organization that works to improve the well-being of children across the state
Lone Star Circle of Care http://www.lscctx.org
How to access clinic sites and services in Williamson and eight surrounding Texas counties
People’s Community Clinic http://www.austinpcc.org/
Serves as a primary care home to 11,000 uninsured and underinsured patients in Central Texas. Learn about their services and how to volunteer.
Code Red http://www.coderedtexas.org/
A comprehensive report on the increasing discrepancy between Texas’ growing health needs and access to affordable health insurance coverage.
Grant Makers in Health/ACCESS http://www.gih.org/topics3985/topics_list.htm?attrib_id=8492
A focus on access to care
Texas Department of State Health Services – Family and Community Health http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/programs/fhquery.asp
Learn about state health services available
State Coverage Initiatives http://www.statecoverage.net/
A program that works with states to plan, execute, and maintain health insurance expansions
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation http://www.rwjf.org/
A foundation whose mission is improved health and health care for all Americans
Commonwealth Fund http://www.commonwealthfund.org
Views on creating a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable.
Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/uninsured/index.cfm
Some key resources about the nation’s uninsured population and related health policy issues
Information for Policy Makers, Advocates, Volunteers
On the National Level –
Cover the Uninsured Campaign http://www.covertheuninsured.org
A national campaign demanding solutions from our nation's leaders
Health08.org http://www.health08.org/
Detailed factual information on presidential candidates, health care positions and on health reform proposals from the Kaiser Foundation
Stand Up for Health Care http://www.standupforhealthcare.org/
Information and opportunity to become active in the movement for health care reform. A project of Families USA.
Consumers Union http://www.coveramericatour.org
Sponsored by the Consumer Reports Health, the Cover America Tour is putting faces on the broken health care system. Watch for it to come to your community.
Divided We Fail http://www.aarp.org/issues/dividedwefail/
AARP, Business Roundtable, Service Employees Union, and National Federation of Independent Business are engaging the American people, businesses, non-profit organizations, and elected officials in finding bi-partisan solutions to ensure affordable, quality health care and long-term financial security for all Americans.
Health Care for America Now http://healthcareforamericanow.org/
A national grassroots campaign organizing Americans for quality, affordable health care for all
At the State Level -
The Texas Finish Line Campaign http://www.texaskidswin.org/
A campaign that works to ensure that every Texas child has access to comprehensive and affordable health insurance
The Texas Health Institute http://www.healthpolicyinstitute.org/
A nonpartisan, nonprofit “think tank” organization acting as a neutral convener and facilitating health care dialogue to collaboratively develop options to improve the health of Texans and their communities
Cover Texas Now http://www.covertexasnow.org/
This statewide public outreach campaign to engage working Texans in the public policy debate around health care is hosting a series of town hall meetings across the State of Texas regarding the Texas health insurance crisis.
Health Care for All Texas http://www.healthcareforalltexas.org/
Texans working for “single payer” universal health care
Research on the Uninsured/Underinsured
On the National Level –
Center for Disease Control & Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
Kaiser Family Foundation/ Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured http://www.kff.org
Commonwealth Fund http://www.commonwealthfund.org
Employee Benefit Research Institute http://www.ebri.org/ contributes to and encourages the development of employee benefit programs and sound public policy through research and education.
US Census http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html
Families USA http://www.familiesusa.org/ promotes high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
The Urban Institute http://www.urban.org/health/index.cfm
Focus on Low-income Americans –
Center for Children and Families (CCF) at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute http://ccf.georgetown.edu/index/index is an independent, nonpartisan policy and research center whose mission is to expand and improve health coverage for America's children and families.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities http://www.cbpp.org/pubs/health.htm is a policy organization working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals. CBPP works to ensure that Federal and state health insurance programs provide coverage that meets the health care needs of low-income children and families, as well as seniors and people with disabilities. The Center also works to remove barriers preventing eligible families from gaining access to health coverage.
The Center for Studying Health System Change http://www.hschange.com is to inform policy makers and private decision makers about how local and national changes in the financing and delivery of health care affect people.
At the State Level –
The Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer http://txsdc.utsa.edu/ in cooperation with a network of affiliates function as a focal point for the distribution of Census information for Texas.
Code Red http://www.coderedtexas.org/ In July 2004, the Task Force for Access to Health Care in Texas was organized to address issues of access to health care and health insurance in Texas. The Task Force was sponsored by the ten major academic health centers in the state: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech Health Science Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center, North Texas, and the six health institutions of the University of Texas System. This is a comprehensive report on the increasing discrepancy between Texas’ growing health needs and access to affordable health insurance coverage.
The Texas Health Care Primer (Revised 2007) http://www.cppp.org/research.php?aid=715
Texas Health Care: What Has Happened and What Work Remains http://www.cppp.org/research.php?aid=535 Austin: Center for Public Policy Priorities, June 2006. A report on what happened to Texas health care during the 2005 legislative session and where things stand leading into the next session
Child Friendly? How Texas' Policy Choices Affect Whether Children Get Enrolled and Stay Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP http://www.cppp.org/research.php?aid=639
Central Texas Health Data Collaborative http://www.centexhealthdata.org
Texas Department of State Health Services http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/chs/talho/talhocty.shtm
Specific DSHS site to track data by county
Texas Association of Counties http://www.county.org/resources/countydata/hlthwel.asp
Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce http://phpartners.org/health_stats.html
Texas Health Institute's Landscape Project http://66.241.202.7/index.cfm
Report to the Technical Advisory Committee http://www.morningsideresearch.com/TACReport6_02Rev.pdf A 2002 report by Morningside Research and Consulting, Inc. describing the availability of and public expenditures for health care services in the 5-county Austin–San Marcos SMSA
The Texas Medical Association http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=5517
has developed this comprehensive website on the uninsured in Texas.
The Central Texas region is taking bold steps to build strategies to increase access to health care. The following initiatives are currently underway.
Psychiatric Services Stakeholder Committee
Overview of Efforts/Accomplishments through July 2008
The Travis County Healthcare District (TCHD) convened the Psychiatric Services Stakeholder Committee in December 2005. The initial group consisted of leadership from the City of Austin, Travis County, Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David’s Community Health Foundation, St. David’s Healthcare, Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center, and Probate Judge Guy Herman and grew over time to include other organizations such as Mental Health America of Texas, Travis County Medical Society and the University of Texas Medical Branch. The Committee was tasked with developing short, mid- and long-range solutions to the need for increased access to comprehensive mental health crisis services within Travis County. The Committee’s work built off of prior community work in this area such as the Mayor’s Mental Health Task Force and the Jail Diversion Committee.
An initial Interim Mental Health Crisis Plan was developed that identified the largest gaps in crisis services. Each stakeholder elected to address at least one portion of the plan. The table below identifies the services that each member committed to help financially support.
Psychiatric Services Member |
Services Supported |
Result of Funding |
Travis County |
|
|
City of Austin |
|
|
Travis County Healthcare District (TCHD) |
|
|
Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation |
|
|
St. David’s Community Health Foundation |
|
|
Seton Family of Hospitals |
|
|
Since the initial plan was implemented in 2007, the Committee has continued its work to develop a mid-range (Phase II) Plan which would support additional inpatient crisis beds as well as other behavioral services needed in a comprehensive service continuum. As part of this planning, the Committee coordinated a proposal for state crisis grant dollars through ATCMHMR to support additional inpatient crisis beds and crisis respite services. With increased funding from TCHD and the state grant funds, the approximate number of inpatient crisis beds that can be purchased within the community in 2009 has increased from 9 in Phase I, funded by TCHD and ATCMHMR, to a total of approximately 21 in 2009. The state dollars will also provide support for 32 crisis respite beds.
The success of these efforts is dependent upon the continued collaboration among a growing number of community stakeholders.
| Stakeholder | Website Address |
| Austin Medical Education Program (supported by Seton) |
http://www.seton.net |
| Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation | http://www.atcmhmr.com |
| City of Austin | http://www.ci.austin.tx.us |
| Mental Health America of Texas | http://www.mhatexas.org |
| Seton Family of Hospitals | http://www.seton.net |
| St. David’s Community Health Foundation | http://www.sdchf.org |
| St. David’s Healthcare | http://www.stdavids.com |
| Travis County | http://www.co.travis.tx.us |
| Travis County Healthcare District | http://www.traviscountyhd.org |
| Travis County Medical Society | http://www.tcms.com |
| University of Texas Medical Branch | http://www.utmb.edu |
Central Texas Regional Health Coverage Project
Program Summary
Overview: Texas ranks number one in the nation for uninsured with one-in-four Texans having no healthcare coverage. Among the reasons for our high uninsured rates are the numbers of Texas business that are unable to offer coverage to their employees. The Central Texas Regional Health Coverage Project’s mission is to offer, on a multi-county basis, a basic, low-cost health plan(s) for small employers and their employees that:
• Improves the health and access to healthcare of those insured by the program
• Helps small businesses remain competitive with a healthy workforce
• Expands the size of the insured pool in Central Texas
• Adds more revenue to the region’s healthcare system
• Encourages patient responsibility in their health
Product Description:
Target Launch Date: Fall 2008
Services: Includes major services (physician, hospital, medications, mental health)
Providers: Reasonable payment rates, regional provider network
Premium Payments: From $70 to $228/mo/employee depending on age/gender and plan
Limitations: Coverage limitations, annual maximums, deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance
Governance: Locally-based, locally run non-profit corporation; regional Board of Directors
Adds to Insured Pool: Small employers who have not offered insurance for specified time
Market Target: Minimum 10,000 employees by 3rd year
How can you keep the costs lower than a commercial insurance product?
• Small Business price barriers removed - No health status, industry type, or size underwriting
• Basic plan(s) covering major medical service categories
• Prevention and disease management – healthier population will keep costs down.
• 3-Share – only for lower income individuals, offer some level of subsidy
• Large pool of employees – target of at least 10,000 by the 3rd year of operations
• Nonprofit approach – avoids business need to pay shareholders, executive salaries
• Technology – innovative use of health information technology to streamline overhead costs.
Contact Information:
Ann Kitchen, akitchen@icc-centex.org, 804-2090 ext 202 http://www.healthcarecentraltexas.com
Cutting Edge Use of Technology to Improve Access and Quality
The Integrated Care Collaboration is a nonprofit, regional collaboration of safety net providers – the hospitals, physicians, clinics, MHMR, health department, healthcare district, university, and other providers who provide healthcare for people without insurance. The ICC members are recognized nationally for their innovative use of technology to support patient care.
The ICC is responsible for the ongoing development and management of the ICare system, a nationally recognized health information exchange unique in the scope of data available for research, program analysis, and treatment support in clinics and hospitals where people seek care. ICare currently contains patient specific demographic and visit data for over 700,000 individuals with over 4 million visits at 60 locations throughout the region.
The ICC partners carefully protect the privacy and security of the ICare information. Patients sign authorization forms before their individual data can be viewed.
The visit level data in ICare provides information to support planning and analysis for the ICC partners, which improves the efficiency and integration of service delivery. This information helps increase comprehensive and effective care for patients. In addition, the information helps researchers evaluate the effectiveness of innovative new programs to improve patient treatment and access to care. ICare data is also useful for physicians, nurses, social workers and other clinicians at clinics and emergency rooms and other places where people seek care.