Who qualifies?

» Income guidelines for CHIP
» State Kids Insurance Program – SKIP

Any adult who lives with an uninsured child and provides care for that child can apply. This includes parents, step-parents, grandparents, other relatives, legal guardians or adult brothers or sisters.

To qualify for CHIP or Children's Medicaid, a child must be under age 19, a Texas resident and a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. The citizenship or immigration status of the parents does not affect the children's eligibility and is not reported on the application form *.

* To qualify for Children's Medicaid, the child must be living in a family with assets below established levels. Assets do not include the family's home or personal property. In determining income eligibility, deductions for work-related expenses and dependent care expenses are allowed.

Children enrolling in CHIP for the first time after being covered by private health insurance will have a 90-day waiting period before the benefits can be used. There are some exceptions to this rule.

Exceptions to 90-Day Waiting Period

  • Children who lost insurance coverage because:
    • Their parent's employment was terminated due to a layoff, reduction-in-force, or the closure of a business
    • Their insurance benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) were terminated
    • The marital status of a child's parent changed
    • Their parent's employer terminated dependent coverage
  • Children who no longer covered by insurance provided by the Texas Employees Retirement System (ERS) or CHIP in another state
  • Children whose previous health insurance coverage cost 10 percent or more of the family’s gross income (minus any child care deductions)

  • Children who have been decertified from the Medicaid Program and determined eligible for CHIP by Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
  • Children who have been added to currently enrolled accounts, including newborns
  • Children who have un-enrolled for failure to renew, but who successfully complete their renewal by the deadline for processing renewals in the month after their 6th month of coverage

A family's size, income and assets determine whether the children qualify for Children's Medicaid or CHIP.


Income Guidelines for CHIP/Children's Medicaid *

  May Qualify for Children's Medicaid May Qualify for CHIP
Family Members Monthly Family Income Annual Family Income Monthly Family Income Annual Family Income
1 $867 10,400 $1,734 $20,800
2 $1,167 $14,000 $2,334 $28,000
3 $1,467 $17,600 $2,934 $35,200
4 $1,767 $21,200 $3,534 $42,400
5 $2,067 $24,800 $4,134 $49,600
6 $2,367 $28,400 $4,734 $56,800
7 $2,667 $32,000 $5,334 $64,000
8 $2,967 $35,600 $5,934 $71,200

* Some expenses such as childcare or disabled adult care may be deductible.

If you are an employee of the State of Texas, you may qualify for an insurance supplement for your dependent children under age 19 through the State Kids Insurance Program – SKIP.