Texas Medicaid, SCHIP, & Federal Authority

Section 115 Waiver – In March 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the state of Texas for a State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) section 1115 demonstration, Texas SCHIP Cost Share 1115. This new program moves from a monthly premium to a semi-annual enrollment fee of $25 for those with incomes between 133 percent and 150 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). The purpose of this waiver program is to promote continuous SCHIP coverage and to reduce the likelihood of disenrollment due to non-payment of monthly cost-sharing requirements. Unborn children will be exempt from this cost-sharing requirement.