Connecting Texas Kids to Coverage Blog Series PART I: Texas Medicaid and CHIP Programs

Texas Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offer parents peace of mind knowing their children can get the routine preventative care they need, when they need it, that keeps them healthy.  These programs have been able to secure medical coverage benefits for more than 45 million children. While this progress is encouraging, there are still a substantial number of children who remain without coverage.

Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) has a special program dedicated to helping parents get their children get the medical coverage they need by guiding them through the enrollment process. Both CHIP and Medicaid offer free or low-cost health insurance for kids and teens and that cover services, including:

• Dentist visits, cleanings and fillings;
• Eye exams and glasses;
• Choice of doctors, regular checkups and office visits;
• Prescription drugs and vaccines;
• Access to medical specialists and mental health care;
• Hospital care services;
• Medical supplies, x-rays and lab tests;
• Treatment of special health care needs; and
• Treatment of pre-existing conditions.

Qualifications and eligibility

• Ages 18 or younger

*Children up to age 19 can qualify for Medicaid in some cases.

• A Texas resident
• A U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident

*Parents are not asked about their immigration status.

• Only the child must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident in Texas to be considered for Children’s Medicaid or CHIP benefits.

Special populations we service

• Families with low-income at or below 200% of federal poverty levels.
• Non English speakers    
• Vulnerable youth
• Homeless youth
• Youth aging out of foster care

Throughout the month of January 2021, LSLA will be posting a series of blogs on how civil legal aid can help a loved one or a child you know in need of health insurance benefits. In the series, you will find out about issues that the Connecting Texas Kids to Coverage unit at LSLA can help with, the process of applying for benefits, current legislation affecting benefits available to children, and the answers to all your frequently asked questions.

If you would like to read about the content provided in the blog series, please click here.

If you or a loved one are a victim of fraud and need assistance, you can apply for free legal services by calling 1-800-733-8394 or by visiting our website at www.lonestarlegal.org.  For more resources, visit the Texas Crime Victim Legal Assistance Network.

Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy on behalf of low-income and underserved populations. Lone Star Legal Aid serves the millions of people at 125% of federal poverty guidelines that reside in 72 counties in the eastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas, and 4 counties of southwest Arkansas. Lone Star Legal Aid focuses its resources on maintaining, enhancing, and protecting income and economic stability; preserving housing; improving outcomes for children; establishing and sustaining family safety and stability, health and well‐being; and assisting populations with special vulnerabilities, like those who have disabilities, or who are elderly, homeless, or have limited English language skills. To learn more about Lone Star Legal Aid, visit our website at www.lonestarlegal.org. Media contact: media@lonestarlegal.org