Health Insurance Through the State of Texas

For those who cannot get health insurance through their employer or purchase it directly from an insurance company, it is possible to get health insurance through the state of Texas. The primary options are Children's Health Insurance Program, Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool and Medicaid.

Children's Health Insurance Program

• The Children's Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP, was created in 1997. It provides health insurance for children whose parents could not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private health insurance. Texas allows families to enroll children in CHIP if their income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool

• The Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool is only available to those who can prove they are not insurable due to pre-existing health conditions or a serious diagnosis. They must also pay monthly premiums into the pool.

Medicaid

• Medicaid automatically covers those who live at or below the poverty line, receive Supplemental Social Security Income or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. It is also available to pregnant women who would qualify for welfare when the baby is born. In Texas, Medicaid covers children under age 6 whose parents' income is below 133 percent of the federal poverty line, but it does not cover their parents.