County discounts health insurance

AUSTIN (KXAN) - If you live in Travis County, $65 million of your tax money goes to fund the Central Health District .

That district's creation came five years ago, intended to help the uninsured and underinsured - and designed to help people like Barbara Shirley who lost her job and health insurance two years ago.

"I really need to be monitored," said Shirley, a Central Health user. "I have heart problems, I'm a diabetic and I'm asthmatic."

That's when she did some digging and found Central Health.

"I can get the care I need, and it's affordable," said Shirley. "So there is no reason for anyone to go without health care."

When the Central Health District was created five years ago, the goal was to provide the uninsured and underinsured preventative health care while streamlining the current system.

"Residents of the county and residents of the city had different benefit packages, and there were different systems serving them," said Christie Garbe, communications and planning officer with Central Health.

After five years, residents are taking advantage of the system. It grew by 80 percent last year alone.

In 2009, 14,000 Travis County residents used the service, but that number jumped this year to 17,000.

"There are co-pays and these kinds of things, but they have access to a network of services from primary care, specialty care and hospital care," said Garbe.

In order for the district to offer this range of services, it contracts with public and private providers, such as People's Community Clinic , CommUnityCare and the University Medical Center Brackenridge .

"So that's been a challenge for us to find enough providers to see all the patients that need care," said Garbe.

Those interested in getting health care through the Central Health District must apply and meet the income requirements.