An Introduction to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Texas

            The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is one of two public health insurance programs for children in the state of Texas (the other is Children’s Medicaid, which is discussed in another post). CHIP offers health insurance for children in families who cannot afford to purchase private insurance, but whose families earn an income higher than the cut-off rate to qualify for Medicaid.

Here are some important points to know about CHIP:

In order to qualify for CHIP a child must:

·        Be 18 years of age or less

·        A Texas resident

·        A U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident

o       Application does not inquire about the citizenship status of the child’s parents

·        Live in a family that earns an income of 200% of the Federal Poverty Line, or less

o       For example, A family of 3 cannot earn more than $37,060/year in order to qualify for CHIP

·        As of March 2011, there were 534,201 children enrolled in CHIP, which was an increase of nearly 1,000 children from the previous month

·        Families eligible to enroll in CHIP must pay an annual enrollment fee, which is based upon the family’s income

o       Enrollment fee is usually $50 per family, per year

·        The program covers:

o       visits to doctors’ offices

o       hospital care

o       prescription drugs and vaccines,

o       dental care

o       eye exams and glasses

o       treatment of special needs and pre-existing conditions

o       x-rays and lab tests

o       access to medical specialists and mental health care

o       and more…

·        CHIP participants are required to pay copays for prescriptions and doctor’s visits, ranging from $5 to $25

·        The CHIP Perinatal Program offers coverage for the unborn children of pregnant women before and immediately after childbirth:

o       20 prenatal visits and prescription drug coverage

o       Labor and delivery

o       Health and medical services for the baby’s first months of life, including regular checkups, vaccines, and prescriptions

o       Up to two doctor’s visits for the mother after childbirth

Here are some important and informative websites regarding CHIP in Texas (which were used as sources for this post):

CHIP | Children’s Medicaid

Texas CHIP Coalition

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (chapter on CHIP)