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Funding Pediatric HIV Care
 TexCare Partnership is coordinating insurance applications for three programs, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Texas Healthy Kids Corporation (THKC), and Medicaid. By completing one application, either by phone or in person, a family can be directed to the appropriate program.
To get more information from TexCare partnership, call or see the TexCare Partnership website
- Medicaid is an insurance program offered for children in families who meet income criteria. To qualify for Medicaid, the child must be a Texas resident, a US citizen or certain category of legal residence, under the age of 19, living in a family with assets below certain limits (a house or personal property is not considered but the value of a vehicle is), and living in a family that meets income criteria. For more information on Medicaid, see Medicaid for Texas Children or visit Texas Department of Human Services: Medical Programs for Families and Children.
- CHIP is an insurance program for children offered for families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but who are not able to afford to buy private insurance. To qualify, the child must be a Texas resident, a US citizen or legal permanent status (the parent’s status is not reported), be under the age of 19, be uninsured for at least 90 days, and be living in a family that meets income criteria (below 200% of the federal poverty level for their sized family). To get more information about CHIP, call or see the Partnership's CHIP information page.
- The Texas Healthy Kids Corporation provides insurance to uninsured children throughout Texas. To qualify, a child must be between the ages of 2 and 17, uninsured for at least 90 days, enrolled in school if of school age, and a resident of Texas for at least six months. Texas Healthy Kids Corporation is available to families of all incomes and enrolls children only during certain open enrollment times during the year. Insurance premiums are determined by the child’s county of residence. For more information on the Texas Healthy Kids Program, call 1-800-943-KIDS or see the Texas Healthy Kids Corporation website.
Children in Harris county and the 10 surrounding counties can access health insurance through the Texas Children’s Health Plan. In addition to CHIP and THKC insurance coverage, the Texas Children’s Health Plan also offers individual medical insurance to uninsured children. For more information on the Texas Children’s Health Plan, call or see the Texas Children’s Hospital website.
The Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) program, formerly called CIDC, provides health benefits to families with children with certain health problems or diseases, including HIV/ AIDS. Children are eligible for CSHCN if they are a Texas resident, under the age of 21, meet income criteria, and have a medical condition covered by CSHCN. For more information, see the CSHCN web page.
Texas has an information and referral hotline that provides information and referrals for health and parenting services throughout Texas. For more information, call 1-800-4-BABY-LOVE () or see the website.
The Texas Department of Health HIV Medication Program is the AIDS Drug Assistance Program for the state of Texas. People with HIV are eligible for the TDH Medication Program if they are a Texas resident, are under the care of a Texas physician who has prescribed the medications, meet income criteria, and do not have HIV medication coverage from any other insurance source. The application and guidelines for enrollment are available at their website.
People with HIV living in Houston and some of the surrounding areas can receive emergency assistance for HIV medications and assistance with insurance premiums through The Assistance Fund. Located in Houston, The Assistance Fund can be reached by calling . People with HIV are eligible to receive medication assistance from The Assistance Fund based on income criteria, county of residence, HIV status, and lack of other resources to pay for HIV medications.
Many hospitals and community-based organizations have other programs that can assist with access to medical treatment and medications. Talk with your social worker or case manager about other programs that may be available.
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