Over 850,000 Texas Eligible Children Not Enrolled In SCHIP

StateChildren's Health Insurance Program

More than850,000 of Texas'1.5 million uninsured children are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid but are notenrolled in the programs, Texas Health and HumanServices ExecutiveCommissioner Albert Hawkins said Tuesday, the AustinAmerican-Statesman reports. Of those children, 75% qualify for Medicaid coverage and therest qualify for SCHIP. The figures are based on an analysis of census data bythe state HHS.

Hawkins said the state has initiated new efforts to enroll eligible children. Headded that a model used in Houston,which uses the city's 17 largest churches to help people enroll in theprograms, could be expanded statewide. In October, the state began callingpeople who had applied but were missing information on their forms, rather thansending 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 theprograms. It also distributes fliers in English, Spanish and Vietnamese andbroadcasts radio advertisements (MacLaggan, Austin American-Statesman,11/28).

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