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Affordable Health Insurance Plans in the State of Texas

Finding and keeping affordable health insurance is a primary concern of many people, especially those working low-income jobs, college students, the disabled or senior citizens. Getting private insurance with a large array of benefits is far too expensive for many people, but going without it is extremely risky. You never know when you will have a health care emergency, and Texas has consistently been ranked in the bottom among all the states in America by the United Health Foundation. If you meet certain conditions, you may be able to find no-cost or low-cost health insurance.

  1. Medicare

    • Medicare is a health insurance program administered by the federal government and generally given to people 65 years of age or older. You may also qualify if you are disabled or in the end stages of renal disease. There are two main parts to federally-funded Medicare, usually called Part A and Part B. Part A covers hospital in-patient services and may be offered without cost. Part B has benefits for medically-necessary services like doctor's visits, home health and hospital outpatient care. Part B is not free but costs less than commercial health insurance. If you qualify for Medicare, you can also purchase additional benefits through Medicare Advantage plans or standard Medigap policies.

    Medicaid

    • Medicaid is health insurance program funded by the federal government and administered by the states, who can decide their own guidelines, benefits and enrollment requirements. Texas's Medicaid program is for low-income families, the physically and mentally disabled and the elderly. Medicaid mostly covers preventive medical services, hospital and emergency care and prescription drugs. CHIP is the state's children's Medicaid program. Seventy percent of those who receive full Medicaid benefits in Texas are children. Pregnant women who meet certain income limits also qualify for Medicaid. Low-income women aged 18 to 44 may qualify for the state's Women's Health Program, which offers coverage for birth control, gynecological exams, a comprehensive health history, and screening for diabetes, breast cancer, cervical cancer and high blood pressure.

    Student Health Insurance

    • Some Texas colleges offer students affordable health coverage through their own insurance plans. The University of Texas System, which has campuses all over the state, including ones in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso and Arlington, offers student HMO and PPO health care insurance through United Healthcare. Southern Methodist University not only has its own health insurance plan through Aetna, but requires that all students either enroll in the plan or provide proof that they are otherwise covered. As of 2010, SMU's student health insurance plan costs $715 per semester.

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