During a rare Monday morning meeting, the Brownwood City Council approved the Charity Care Policy and authorize the City Manager to sign the claims submission agreement with Justice Benefits, Inc, initiating Charity Care claims for the Brownwood/Brown County Health Department.
The Brownwood-Brown County Health Department sought approval to participate in the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Public Health Provider – Charity Care Program. This program reimburses eligible public providers for uncompensated healthcare services — such as behavioral health, immunizations, and communicable disease treatment — when no other reimbursement source is available.
Eligible entities include Public Health Districts and local governmental mental health organizations.
Brownwood-Brown County Health Department Director Lisa Dick addressed the Council and said, “We would just provide the services and they can’t have any insurance and have to have no other way to pay, so it would be a benefit to the citizen. It’s mainly immunizations and if they had treatment for a disease we identified.”
Covered services will include tuberculosis and sexually transmitted disease identification, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as immunizations. This program does not provide direct financial assistance to patients.
To participate, each provider must adopt a policy that aligns with HHSC guidelines and outlines eligibility for charity care services. The Health Department requested approval of the proposed policy. The program will be launched using Medicaid Administrative Claim funding in the first year, with reimbursement anticipated the following year. Grant funds are not eligible for this purpose.
Passed on the consent agenda Monday were:
An ordinance on second and third/final reading changing the zoning classification of property located at 1505 Beaver St. a Multifamily District to Local Business District
An amendment to the City of Brownwood’s Zoning Ordinance to amend the permitted use chart to prohibit game rooms within the City’s Downtown Business District.
More information on those topics can be found here.