Texas Benefit

Texas CHIP

Also known as: Children's Health Insurance Program (Texas), Children's Medicaid

Texas CHIP provides low-cost health coverage for children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. Texas has one of the largest CHIP programs in the country.

At a Glance

  • Must be under 19 years old.
  • Household income must be at or below 201% of the FederalPoverty Level. Children in families with ...
  • Must be a Texas resident.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant.Lawfully residing children can enroll without a wai...
  • + 2 more requirements below

Eligibility Requirements

Age Requirement

Required

Must be under 19 years old.

age < 19

Income Limit

Required

Household income must be at or below 201% of the FederalPoverty Level. Children in families with income aboveMedicaid limits but below 201% FPL qualify for CHIP.

household_income_fpl 201 percent

Texas Residency

Required

Must be a Texas resident.

state_residency = TX

Citizenship/Immigration

Required

Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant.Lawfully residing children can enroll without a waitingperiod.

citizenship_status in [us_citizen, permanent_resident, refugee, asylee]

No Other Coverage

Required

Must not have had employer-sponsored health insurancecoverage in the past 90 days.

has_other_qualifying_coverage = false

Not Medicaid Eligible

Required

Must not qualify for Medicaid. CHIP covers the gap betweenMedicaid and private insurance affordability.

qualifies_for_medicaid = false

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

View as JSON
{"service_id":"texas-chip","effective_date":"2024-01-01","rules":[{"id":"age","key":"age","operator":"less_than","value":19,"requirement":"required","label":"Age Requirement","description":"Must be under 19 years old.","source_url":"https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-programs/children-chip"},{"id":"income","key":"household_income_fpl","operator":"less_than_or_equal","value":201,"unit":"percent","requirement":"required","label":"Income Limit","description":"Household income must be at or below 201% of the Federal\nPoverty Level. Children in families with income above\nMedicaid limits but below 201% FPL qualify for CHIP.\n","source_url":"https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-programs/children-chip"},{"id":"residency","key":"state_residency","operator":"equals","value":"TX","requirement":"required","label":"Texas Residency","description":"Must be a Texas resident."},{"id":"citizenship","key":"citizenship_status","operator":"in","values":["us_citizen","permanent_resident","refugee","asylee"],"requirement":"required","label":"Citizenship/Immigration","description":"Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant.\nLawfully residing children can enroll without a waiting\nperiod.\n","source_url":"https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip"},{"id":"no-other-coverage","key":"has_other_qualifying_coverage","operator":"equals","value":false,"requirement":"required","label":"No Other Coverage","description":"Must not have had employer-sponsored health insurance\ncoverage in the past 90 days.\n"},{"id":"not-medicaid-eligible","key":"qualifies_for_medicaid","operator":"equals","value":false,"requirement":"required","label":"Not Medicaid Eligible","description":"Must not qualify for Medicaid. CHIP covers the gap between\nMedicaid and private insurance affordability.\n"}]}

Quick Info

Agency
HHSC
Category
Healthcare
Last Verified
2026-03-16

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