Healthcare District Report

Despite some early distractions, the 2007 legislative session was declared fairly healthy for the Travis County Healthcare District, lobbyist Marsha Jones told the district’s board of managers last Thursday night. Overall, funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program is up, as well as hospital reimbursement rates for Medicaid. Most significant to the district, however, was the district’s local legislation, Senate Bill 1107, which did a number of things: addressed retirement benefits for district employees, authorized regional affiliations and entities, and authorized the collection of revenue anticipation notes, among other things. The board of managers has been especially interested in creating some type of regional health-care insurance product, so the cost burden of the growing uninsured population, particularly those who take advantage of Brackenridge Hospital’s trauma services, can be shared with surrounding counties.