All News
All News

Protect CRS Funding in Texas

March 17, 2017

The Brain Injury Association of America – Texas Division (BIAA) is the voice of brain injury in Austin. We tirelessly advocate for greater access to care for civilian and military populations, expanded brain injury research, adequate resources for our state’s brain injury programs and increased awareness of brain injury issues, among other priorities.

Over the years, there have been various public policy wins for the brain injury community in Texas, including legislation requiring insurance to pay for brain injury rehabilitation and the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services (CRS) program, a state program assisting Texans with important, necessary rehabilitation and treatment. We are extremely proud of the CRS program as it sets Texas’ treatment of brain injury apart from neighboring states.

CRS Program Update

Emergency appropriations are necessary in order to save CRS beyond June 2018. Until the Court of Criminal Appeals ruling, House and Senate budget-writers had proposed more than $17 million per year in Dedicated Funds, and a remaining $7 million to $9 million per year in General Revenue Funds (GR), for the 2018-2019 biennium. This level of funding can serve more than 500 Texans with brain and/or spinal cord injuries each year of the biennium.

Talking Points for Budget Conferees

  • Funding to cover the unexpected shortfall for the current fiscal year, and to restore 2018-2019 appropriations, is absolutely necessary for the CRS program to survive beyond June 2017.
  • CRS is an effective solution for treating people living with brain and/or spinal cord injuries who either have no insurance or their private policy places constraints on their treatment/rehabilitation.
  • According to agency data, 8 out of 10 CRS consumers successfully complete the program. This means their level of recovery allows them to live at home rather than in an institutional setting inappropriate for them, such as a nursing home. The cost savings to the State of Texas is substantial!
  • A 2010 actuarial study, conducted to research the estimated cost of traumatic brain injuries in the State of Texas, revealed that Texas saves more than $300 million dollars a year when patients receive medically-necessary brain injury rehabilitation in a timely manner.
  • The brain injury community needs your support now. Assure CRS funding for the remainder of 2017, and for the 2018-2019 biennium.
 

Take Action Today: Protect the CRS Program

Please act now! Contact your elected official(s) as soon as possible and ask them to SUPPORT CRS Program Amendments in Article II. Please also ask them to OPPOSE any efforts redirect the CRS Dedicated Fund account to any other purpose.