Texas provides comprehensive health care services for low-income pregnant women, including prenatal visits, prenatal vitamins, childbirth, and postpartum care. Women can get free medical coverage during pregnancy through Medicaid for pregnant women or the CHIP perinatal program. The state also offers a 12-month service under its Healthy Texas Women program that women can transition to once their Medicaid coverage expires. In addition, the Family Planning Program and coverage for before and after birth are available through the Texas Children's Health Insurance Program.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) changed and expanded the health care options available to pregnant women. However, many low-income women in Texas, the state with the highest rate of uninsured people in the country, don't have access to the kind of comprehensive postpartum care that experts say is essential to mitigating deaths and complications that disproportionately affect women of color. Michelle Anderson, policy associate at the Afiya Center, a reproductive justice organization based in North Texas, said that once Medicaid coverage runs out, many women go to emergency rooms to seek medical care if they have complications. In addition to extended postpartum care, the provisions that the Senate added to HB 133 include the transition from case management services for children and pregnant women from Medicaid and the Healthy Texas Women program to managed care. CHIP Perinatal offers similar coverage for women who cannot receive Medicaid or have health insurance. However, experts are concerned that it is still not enough for women to have adequate coverage for the myriad health problems that can arise months after giving birth. Help your child be as healthy as possible by scheduling routine checkups with their primary care doctor.
Texas Health Steps is a health care program for children from birth to 20 years old who have Medicaid STAR insurance. Does your child need help with their mental health? Your Medicaid and CHIP insurance includes behavioral health services. When you're pregnant, you may need extra support for your behavioral health. The state of Texas provides comprehensive health care services for low-income pregnant women through Medicaid and other programs. These services include prenatal visits, prenatal vitamins, childbirth, postpartum care, family planning programs, and coverage before and after birth.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has changed and expanded the health care options available to pregnant women in Texas. However, many low-income women still don't have access to comprehensive postpartum care that experts say is essential to mitigating deaths and complications that disproportionately affect women of color. The CHIP Perinatal program offers similar coverage for those who cannot receive Medicaid or have health insurance. However, experts are concerned that it is still not enough for women to have adequate coverage for the myriad health problems that can arise months after giving birth. In addition to extended postpartum care, Texas also offers case management services for children and pregnant women from Medicaid and the Healthy Texas Women program. This helps ensure that all pregnant women in Texas have access to quality health care services throughout their pregnancy and beyond.
