ICYMI: Sendero To Outline Path Toward Financial Stability

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Officials of Sendero Health Plans — a nonprofit owned by public agency Central Health providing medical coverage for low-income residents — on Monday will update residents on their path toward achieving financial stability.

Residents are invited to be apprised on the the health plan's financial status and learn the latest Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment numbers for Central Texas. Central Health and Sendero officials have dubbed the upcoming event as a Community Conversation.

Central Health is Travis County’s Healthcare District, and Sendero Health Plans is Central Health’s nonprofit community-based health maintenance organization (HMO). Last fall, the Central Health Board of Managers invested an additional $26 million in Sendero for Fiscal Year 2019, but required the health insurance company to report back monthly on its progress, officials explained.

Central Health and Sendero developed a strategy to draw down more federal funding through the ACA, officials added, further leveraging local tax dollars. The plan involves giving chronically ill Medical Access Program (MAP) members the option of moving to a private insurance plan offered by Sendero. Central Health pays Sendero premiums for the select group of Travis County residents who had been high-risk MAP members, giving them access to more doctors, prescriptions and other health services.

Officials first announced that MAP plan in October of 2018.

Related story: Central Health Launches Tactics To Save Sendero Program

"With a sicker pool of members, Sendero can collect more money from the ACA’s Risk Adjustment Program, which is designed to level the playing field between insurance companies – compensating insurers whose members are sicker, require more services, and cost more to insure," officials said in a press advisory.

Since 2011, Central Health has invested $108 million in Sendero, according to officials. In return, the HMO has delivered more than $470 million in health coverage to more than 135,000 people, they added.

WHAT: Community Conversation with leaders from Sendero and Central Health discussing Sendero’s progress and what to expect in the future, followed by a question and answer session with attendees.

WHEN/WHERE: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, April 15, at Central Health, 1111 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin, Texas.

WHO: Mike Geeslin, President and CEO, Central Health; Wes Durkalski, CEO, Sendero Health Plans; Dr. Guadalupe Zamora, Central Health Board Chair; Dr. Charles Bell, Sendero/Central Health Board Member; Kit Abney-Spelce, Senior Director of Eligibility Services, Central Health; Michelle Tijerina, Director of Health Insurance Enrollment & Training, Central Health.

About Central Health

Central Health is the local public agency that connects Travis County residents with low income to quality health care. We work with a network of partners to eliminate health disparities and reach our vision of Travis County becoming a model healthy community.

About Sendero Health Plans

Formed in 2011, Sendero Health Plans, Inc. is a community-based nonprofit Health Maintenance Organization owned by Central Health that is dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing affordable, quality healthcare coverage, especially for Travis County residents with low income. Sendero offers its IdealCare plan on the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace.