Texas Boosts Outreach as More Than 850,000 Eligible Children Not Enrolled in SCHIP, Medicaid

More than 850,000 of Texas' 1.5 million uninsured children are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid but are not enrolled in the programs, Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins said Tuesday, the Austin American-Statesman reports. Of those children, 75% qualify for Medicaid coverage and the rest qualify for SCHIP. The figures are based on an analysis of census data by the state HHS.

Hawkins said the state has initiated new efforts to enroll eligible children. He added that a model used in Houston, which uses the city's 17 largest churches to help people enroll in the programs, could be expanded statewide. In October, the state began calling people who had applied but were missing information on their forms, rather than sending a letter, Elisa Garza, the state's SCHIP director, said. The state pays $3.5 million to 28 organizations to help reach and enroll children in the programs. It also distributes fliers in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and broadcasts radio advertisements (MacLaggan, Austin American-Statesman, 11/28).