Texas Medical Insurance

Employer-Provided Medical Insurance

One of the ways employers lure potential quality employees to come work at the business is by offering a quality medical care package with little to no out-of-pocket cost to the employees. Having a great medical insurance package can also ensure that quality employees are retained.

Texas medical insurance provided by employers ranges from the bare essentials with a large out-of-pocket expense to employees to fantastic coverage at no cost to the employees. The Human Resources Department for each business should be able to sit down with each individual employee and review the available coverage and costs associated with the insurance.

Texas Medical Insurance for the Self-Employed

Self-employed individuals, and people whose employers do not provide adequate health insurance coverage, usually find that purchasing Texas medical insurance is necessary but awfully expensive. Because of the large expense associated with insuring an individual or an entire family, it definitely makes sense to shop around for the best coverage at the lowest price. Health insurance companies serving the state of Texas include:

• Blue Cross
• Blue Shield
• UNICARE
• Aetna
• Humana

This listing is not all-inclusive, as there are plenty of companies providing healthcare to Texas residents. To compare several companies at once, people can go through a Texas medical insurance network which takes applications and sends them through to several companies in the hopes of finding the best coverage at an affordable price. With so many available Texas medical insurance providers throughout the state, it is important to compare several providers before settling on one particular company.

Texas Medical Insurance Risk Pool

A health insurance pool is a means by which people can obtain health insurance if they have had trouble being accepted into a health plan in the past. Texans who have preexisting conditions or who have other issues, which make obtaining health insurance difficult, can apply to join the health insurance risk pool. Admission into the pool is not guaranteed, and in some cases applicants may sit on a waiting list before coverage begins. There is documentation needed when applying for the pool; the list of needed documentation is available on the Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool website.

Texas Medicaid

The state of Texas participates in the federally-funded Medicaid program. This program assists Texans who are disabled or who cannot otherwise afford to obtain health insurance for themselves or their families. Texas has a stringent Medicaid program when compared to the other states. Families must have an extremely low monthly income in order to qualify for assistance through Medicaid. Texans who receive Social Security benefits do not need to meet the same income standards as other applicants. More information regarding the Texas Medicaid program can be found on the Texas Medicaid Information website.

CHIP

CHIP stands for Children's Health Insurance Program. The state of Texas provides coverage for necessary health care for the children of families who fall within a certain income requirement. Families who cannot afford health care for their kids, but who also make too much money to qualify for full government-sponsored medical coverage, can apply for benefits through the program and receive coverage for their children's health needs:

• Regular medical well child visits
• Immunizations
• Prescription drugs
• Lab tests
• Emergency hospital visits

The program covers other medical needs for children. This plan does not cover the adults in the family, but is designed to assist children who may not receive quality medical care otherwise. Information on how to apply for the program in addition to other information regarding CHIP can be obtained from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.