NEWS RELEASE
Albert
Hawkins
Executive Commissioner
Date: March 7, 2006
Contact:
Stephanie Goodman or Gail Randall (512) 424-6951
CHIP, Medicaid Provide Quality Care for Low-Income Children
AUSTIN – Good deals are hard to come by. If you’re raising children who don’t have health insurance, Children’s Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may be one of those good deals you’ve been looking for.
“These programs are designed to meet the needs of low-income Texas families who cannot afford health insurance for their children,” says Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins. “Parents want their children to have access to quality medical care. Children’s Medicaid and CHIP make that goal a reality for many families struggling to make ends meet.”
The two programs provide coverage for children in families who earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s $40,000 a year for a family of four.
A family’s enrollment fees for CHIP are based on income and range from no fee to $50 every six months. That’s quite the bargain when the average cost of private health insurance for Texas families exceeds $900 per month.
Children’s Medicaid and CHIP currently provide coverage to one out of every three children in Texas, cover pre-existing conditions and offer a choice of doctors. Services include doctor visits, immunizations, hospital care, surgery, X-rays, physical, speech and occupational therapies, prescription drugs, vision services, emergency services and transplants.
Families don’t need to determine which program they may qualify for. Once an application is submitted, the state will review the information to see if the family qualifies for either CHIP or Children’s Medicaid.
To start an application or get more information on Children’s Medicaid or CHIP, call 800-647-6558. Assistance is available in English and Spanish from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday.
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