Texas Medicaid Application

Residents in Texas covered under the Medicaid program jumped from 16 to 18 percent between 2013 and 2014, which is among the lowest percentages in the nation. The state of Texas has chosen not to expand their Medicaid program, so it has its own 2014 eligibility requirements set up.

Texas has strict guidelines on who can obtain coverage under Medicaid due to the shortage of billions in federal funding to expand it to lower income adults. Since it failed to expand Medicaid, the nation has 766,000 residents in the coverage gap. In 2013, the governor, John Zerwas, attempted to craft a solution to the Medicaid problem from the state, but it failed to pass, leaving several thousand Texans without a health insurance policy.

What’s Covered Under Medicaid

Under the current Medicaid program in Texas, participants could receive the following care services:

  • Dental care
  • Chiropractic services
  • Doctor care
  • Podiatry
  • Psychologist services
  • Emotional health
  • Substance abuse assistance
  • Birthing center services for pregnant women
  • Inpatient and outpatient hospital services
  • Prescription medicines
  • Dentures, glasses, hearing aids, and other durable medical equipment
  • Ambulance and non-emergency transport services
  • Hospice
  • healthcare providers
  • Home health services

Who’s Covered Under Medicaid

  • Aged, blind, and disabled individuals living in Texas
  • Parents with dependent children with family incomes that are no greater than 15 percent of the federal poverty level
  • Kids are CHIP or Medicaid eligible in families that earn no higher than 201 of the federal poverty level
  • Pregnant women in families with income no greater than 198 percent of the federal poverty level

In Texas, because it’s opted out from expanding its Medicaid program, adults without dependent children aren’t eligible to get coverage whatsoever. The state has strict guidelines on providing its residents with state financed medical insurance coverage, which renders many Texas residents uninsured.

You may use the state’s site at YourTexasBenefits.com to complete an application for protection. When you complete the paperwork, your eligibility will be determined based on your income level. Using this part of the state’s site, you can ask to get a paper application sent to you. Programs are also taken with the facilitated marketplace at healthcare.gov or by telephoning 1-800-318-2596.

Make certain to complete all the information on the program to keep and sign it before sending it in. Software can be downloaded and published for completion. Completed applications must be sent to another address:

HHSC

PO Box 149024

Following the Application Procedure

After you fill out the application for Medicaid benefits, you will be given a letter in the mail informing you of whether you’ve been approved or denied coverage. If accepted, accompanying your acceptance letter will be a Medicaid card to be used at doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and hospitals.

During the waiting period once the county is determining your eligibility, you have the chance to check the status of your program by using the state’s website.

  • Check the status of your situation as it is being reviewed
  • Report any changes to your income or family situation
  • Inspection benefits and services
  • Print a Medicaid card for use until your regular card comes in the mail
  • Upload necessary files to Assist with determining eligibility
  • Assess your available benefits and amounts

If you will need to look at your situation’s status, you may use the state’s website. Login to your accounts, click “View My Case,” and click on the “Case Facts” tab. In the “Position” column, you may see one of the following statuses:

  • Approved — Your application has been approved
  • Denied — Your program was not approved
  • Sustained — Your program was approved
  • Pending — Your situation remains under review
  • Terminated — Your medical benefits have come to an end

For all those approved for Medicaid or CHIP benefits, you’ll find a Medicaid or CHIP card via the mail.

So as to be considered for Medicaid in Texas, you must be a resident residing full-time in the nation and a citizen of the USA or legal alien. Texas provides Medicaid coverage to people with dependents that are thought of as very low income.

In the future, it’s likely that the state of Texas will expand its Medicaid program. Expanding Medicaid in the state would make 1,186,000 residents newly eligible for coverage.