Health Alliance for Austin Musicians and Central Health Assist Musicians with Insurance

AUSTIN, Texas — Yadira Brown, a singer-songwriter entrenched in the Austin music scene, has been making music for quite a while now. She describes her sound as “alternative R&B,” and the thought of not being able to create music is, well, quite unsettling for her.

Music has been a part of Yadira’s life since she was a child. She started singing back in elementary school, but there was a pivotal moment in her youth that changed everything: that’s when she began to experience unusual health issues.

“The first symptoms started when I had psoriasis on my skin as a child, and I was like, where did it come from?” Yadira reflected.

As she transitioned into adulthood, her health struggles amplified. “I started having chronic pain in my core muscles that was super, super, super painful,” Brown recounted. “It was so bad I couldn’t sleep.”

After years of uncertainty, doctors finally diagnosed her with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that impacts the thyroid. Without employer-provided insurance from her day job, Yadira found herself in a tight spot regarding her medical expenses.

Enter HAAM and Central Health.

The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that local musicians can access affordable healthcare and wellness services.

Kit Abney Spelce, the vice president of operations at Central Health, emphasized how crucial the collaboration between HAAM and Central Health is for musicians.

“HAAM has a strong working relationship with musicians,” explained Abney Spelce. “They identify uninsured musicians who meet our income criteria—living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level—and connect them with a health insurance navigator to enroll in the health insurance marketplace. Then, when they choose a Sendero Silver plan, Central Health covers the remaining monthly premiums.”

Central Health is a taxpayer-funded hospital district in Travis County, aimed at providing low-income, uninsured, or underinsured residents with quality healthcare. Their Medical Access Program (MAP) offers coverage for primary care, prescriptions, specialty care, and hospital services. Central Health states that MAP is designed to help individuals access the medical care they require.

“Musicians will come up to us and say, ‘HAAM saved my life,'” shared Rachel Blair, HAAM’s chief strategy officer. “Without the insurance funded by Central Health and provided through Sendero Health Plans, many say they wouldn’t have sought medical attention.”

For Yadira, her health has improved significantly. “If I didn’t do that, I don’t think I would have gotten really sick and I wouldn’t have been able to make music,” she reflected. “I’ve had Sendero and this policy for years. They’ve been really great and consistent. Central Health is always responsive to my questions. Everyone is so friendly, warm, and supportive.”

Yadira is just one of over 170,000 residents in Travis County that the Central Health System serves annually. For additional details, you can visit this link.