The nonprofit organization provides low-cost primary health care, basic dental care, mental health care, and hearing and vision health services for working musicians in the Austin-area. HAAM serves musicians living not only in Travis County but surrounding counties such as Hays and Williamson counties.
HAAM reached 2,200 members in July, according to HAAM board Chairman Keith Donahoe. He said the organization has 25 percent more members than it did one year ago, and it anticipates the number to grow to 30 percent by the end of the year.
The last time HAAM paused enrollment was 2009. Donahoe said it’s tricky to nail down how many members exactly the organization would need to have to reach capacity again.
“If you take the current members that we have, and if they utilize every service that’s available to them through HAAM, we could not fund it today,” Donahoe said. “The way it’s been working is that our members don’t always use all of the services annually, so we’ve been able to handle the growth.”
If every member utilized just the dental program to the full extent, for example, it would cost HAAM $1.6 million, which is almost 75 percent of its $2 million budget.
Other health care options for Austin musicians
HAAM serves 18 percent of Austin musicians, according to the Austin Music Census conducted in 2015. The census stated the total number of musicians in the city remains unknown, but Donahoe estimates at least another 2,400 musicians could qualify for HAAM benefits.
If HAAM pauses enrollment, Donahoe said the organization will primarily recommend to prospective applicants that they check to see if they qualify for coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
“We’ve historically found there’s a large percentage of the population that haven’t focused on their health care insurance,” he said. “They find it to be extremely overwhelming and complicated. The first thing we do is try to make sure that they can enroll in health care and if they can, that’s a step.”
HAAM also recommends musicians reach out to local nonprofit Foundation Communities for health insurance enrollment assistance. Foundation Communities can assess options through the Affordable Care Act and also refer musicians to other resources.
HAAM’s plan to increase funding
The good news is that HAAM as an organization is financially stable, thanks to operating reserves set aside by the board, Donahoe said.
Still, the organization aims to support as many local musicians as possible. HAAM plans to expand its fundraising efforts.
Right now, HAAM’s funding comes primarily from two events—Corporate Battle of the Bands and HAAM Benefit Day, which is Sept. 12. Donahoe said now that the organization has expanded its staff, board members hope to focus on finding a recurring income stream.
Possible recurring income options include applying to more grants and reaching out to larger philanthropic organizations that specialize in health care, he said.
HAAM statistics
Statistics provided by the organization show that HAAM primarily serves white men who make between $11,880 and $17,819 annually.
Donahoe said the organization admits it hasn't done enough outreach to minority communities. But with the organization reaching capacity soon, HAAM has no immediate plans to create outreach programs.
"We are in the early stages to really figure that out and figure out why we have not picked up more minority musicians," he said. "Largely speaking, I think it’s going to take a board effort."
