How Applications are Processed
Before a family can find out if their children can get CHIP or Medicaid, the family must submit a complete CHIP/Children’s Medicaid application. There is a single form to apply for CHIP, CHIP Perinatal, and Children’s Medicaid. The completed application must contain:
- All data fields completed (even if the entry is simply “N/A” or “not applicable”)
- Signature and date
- All “items we need” that prove income, expenses, and immigration status, if required
For more information on what to do after the applicant has qualified, please visit the How to Enroll in Health Plans page of this website.
Processing
All CHIP/Children’s Medicaid applications—whether new or renewal; whether mailed, faxed, submitted online, or dropped off at an HHSC eligibility office—are collected at HHSC’s Document Processing Center in Midland, Texas. The applications and accompanying documents are then scanned and data is entered into the system. Applications are first screened to see if the children might qualify for Children’s Medicaid. Those applications that appear to be Medicaid-eligible are electronically sent to HHSC offices in Austin for processing and determination. All other applications are processed to determine the family’s eligibility for CHIP. Here’s an overview of the steps an application follows in the eligibility process.
The file date is the date HHSC first receives an application that has, at a minimum, the applicant’s name, address, and signature. HHSC has up to 45 days from the file date of an application to finish processing the application and tell the family if the children qualify for Medicaid, CHIP, or neither.
New applications or renewals may be submitted online, or filled out by hand and mailed to :
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
P.O. Box 14200
Midland, TX 79711-9901
Completed applications and proof documents can also be faxed to 1-877-542-5951.
If an application is not completely filled out, HHSC will send the family a missing information notice in the mail. An application is considered incomplete when some data fields are blank, when a signature is not included, or when documents of proof that are needed are not attached.
Documents of Proof (“Items we need”)
Every application must include all the documents of proof HHSC needs to process the application. HHSC refers to these documents as “Items we need.” If HHSC gets an application that is missing some documents of proof, the person applying will get a missing information notice in the mail. To see specific documents HHSC needs and how they may be provided, see the form “How to Provide Missing Information.”
Written documents of proof are NOT required for:
- Age
- Family size
- Relationship
- Residence
- Assets
Written documents of proof are required for:
- Child’s U.S. citizenship
- Child’s immigration status
- Income
- Costs claimed for child care or care for an adult with a disability
- Child support claimed
- Alimony costs claimed
- Termination of private health insurance
- Conflicting information.
