Fiscal Year 2008 Budget
Executive Summary
>Download a PDF copy of the FY08 Budget
Who We Are
The Travis County Healthcare District (TCHD) was created by vote of the Travis County electorate in May 2004 to assume responsibility for the provision of medical and hospital care to medically indigent residents of the District, a responsibility previously shared by the County and the City of Austin. While Texas law defines “indigent” as individuals at or below 21% of the Federal Poverty Level (currently $4,336 for a family of 4), the District defines its identified population as uninsured or underinsured individuals up to 200% FPL (currently $41,300 for a family of four).
FY08 Budget
The Travis County Healthcare District has adopted the role of community steward when considering its responsibility to those in need of services as well as to all Travis County taxpayers. The proposed FY08 TCHD budget was developed to help the District support the most appropriate level of care to our identified population so that taxpayer dollars are used in the most effective manner possible.
The District is proposing a FY08 budget of approximately $89.7 million, including over $9 million in service expansion to address unmet healthcare needs. The District used a four-pronged approach in developing this budget:
• Use on-going revenue, such as property taxes, federal matching funds, tobacco settlement funds and interest, to fund on-going health care needs;
• Access reserves for one-time costs;
• Make incremental progress in expanding access to healthcare for the county’s residents; and
• Leverage services provided by community partners to maximize service options without duplicating efforts.
Impact on Tax Rate and Payment
The proposed budget is based on a .0693 property tax rate, which is lower than the FY07 tax rate of .0734. Due to increases in the appraised value of taxable property, the proposed rate would increase the average residence tax payment by $3.03.
Components of the FY08 Budget
Base Budget ($79.2M): TCHD is not a direct provider of services. Instead, the District purchases healthcare services from an established system of providers who serve residents of Travis County and it also contributes to the overall support of trauma center services provided to the community at Brackenridge Hospital. In the FY08 budget, funding of $79.2 million is requested to maintain services currently purchased to support existing District programs as well as to fulfill service expansion commitments that were made during Fiscal Year 2007 which will enhance the ability of contracted providers to serve additional patients.
Service Expansion ($9.06M): In addition to the service levels provided for in the base budget, additional funds are budgeted to support the expansion of critical services to help address identified gaps within the community. Service expansion dollars will target the following community needs in support of the District’s strategic objectives:
• Mental Health ($.5M)
• Specialty Care ($1.5M)
• Primary Care ($3M)
• System Capacity Expansion ($4M)
Specific service expansion projects considered for approval will be reviewed against the District’s strategic plan goals as well as for anticipated performance levels and support from other community providers.
Community Care Services Department/TCHD Transition: Currently, the City of Austin operates the Community Health Centers on behalf of TCHD. TCHD is working closely with the City of Austin to transition the Community Health Centers and related operations to the District’s direct sponsorship. Costs associated with these transition activities of $1.4 million, reflect the greatest increases in the FY08 budget outside of healthcare expansion efforts. It is anticipated that the transition will be completed in FY09.
Capital Budget ($900K): In order to build the necessary infrastructure to support the District’s functions as well as the transferring Community Health Center operations, capital expenditures are budgeted to purchase administrative systems such as payroll/timekeeping, human resources management, and accounting/financial reporting.