How to Apply for CHIP in Texas: Form H1010, Income Limits, Fees

To apply for CHIP in Texas, submit Form H1010 (the Texas Works Application for Assistance) through one of four channels: online at YourTexasBenefits.com, by phone at 2-1-1, in person at a local Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) office, or by mail or fax using a printed form.¹ CHIP is for children under 19 in households that earn too much for Medicaid but at or below 201 percent of the federal poverty level, which works out to roughly $66,330 a year for a family of four in 2026.²

Four Ways to Apply

Pick whichever channel fits your situation. All of them lead to the same application:¹

Online at YourTexasBenefits.com. Create an account, complete the application, and upload your pay stubs and other documents directly. You can save progress and return later. This is the fastest route because the portal validates fields as you go.
By phone at 2-1-1. Call and select option 2 to apply with an HHSC representative who fills out the form with you.
In person. Visit a local HHSC office and have staff walk you through the form on the spot.
By mail or fax. Download Form H1010 from the HHSC website or pick up a paper copy at a local office, then send it to the address or fax number listed on the form.

Whichever route you take, confirm every required signature page is signed before submitting. A missing signature sends the form back to you and restarts the clock.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Collecting these items first will keep the application moving:

Social Security numbers for each child applying for coverage
Proof of income, such as recent pay stubs or your most recent federal tax return
Details about any existing health insurance the children currently have
Legal names and dates of birth matching government-issued records for everyone in the household

Household size on the form counts everyone who lives together and shares income and expenses, including parents, stepparents, and children under 19. People who aren’t applying still get counted if they share household finances, because that number determines which poverty-level percentage the state applies to your income.

Check the Income Limits Before You Apply

Texas sets the CHIP income ceiling at 201 percent of the federal poverty level, measured as gross pay before taxes and deductions.² Using the 2026 federal poverty guidelines, approximate annual household income limits are:³

Family of 2: about $43,500
Family of 3: about $54,913
Family of 4: about $66,330
Family of 5: about $77,747
Family of 6: about $89,164

Add roughly $11,417 for each additional household member beyond six. Income for CHIP means modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), which is your adjusted gross income plus any untaxed foreign income, non-taxable Social Security benefits, and tax-exempt interest.³

Beyond income, your child must live in Texas, be under 19 (coverage runs through the end of the month they turn 19),⁴ and be either a U.S. citizen or in a recognized immigration category. Children who already have other health insurance generally don’t qualify.

One change worth knowing: on October 1, 2026, federal CHIP funding narrows to cover only U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents who have completed a five-year waiting period, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants.⁵ States may still cover other lawfully residing children at state option, so families in other immigration categories should ask HHSC whether coverage continues past that date.

Filling Out Form H1010 Without Triggering Delays

Form H1010 asks for income as a monthly gross amount. If you’re paid biweekly, multiply your gross paycheck by 26 and divide by 12 to get the right figure. Discrepancies between what you write on the form and what your pay stubs show are one of the most common reasons applications stall. Match the numbers exactly, and submit the pay stubs that back them up.

If you apply online, upload supporting documents to your YourTexasBenefits.com account rather than mailing them separately. That keeps everything in one file for your caseworker and shortens the review.

What Happens After You Submit

Caseworkers have up to 45 days to verify your information against state and federal records and issue a decision.⁶ You’ll get a written notice in the mail with the result. If HHSC needs more information along the way, they’ll send a separate request, and responding quickly keeps the review inside that 45-day window.

There is no waiting period before coverage starts. Once your child is approved and any applicable enrollment fee is paid, coverage begins on the first day of the next available month.⁷

Picking a Health Plan

After approval, you choose a managed care health plan from the options in your area. Each plan has its own network of doctors, dentists, and hospitals, so check whether your child’s current providers participate before you choose.⁷ If you don’t select one in time, the state assigns a plan for you. You can request a change later, but picking carefully upfront avoids disruption.

Enrollment Fees

CHIP enrollment fees are capped at $50 per family for the entire year, and some families pay nothing depending on income.⁷ That’s an annual fee, not a monthly premium. Co-pays for doctor visits and prescriptions apply on a sliding scale based on income, with emergency room co-pays generally higher than office visits.

If Your Application Is Denied

A denial notice has to explain why. The usual reasons are income over the 201-percent limit, an incomplete application, or existing health insurance. Before doing anything formal, call HHSC and ask whether the problem is something simple like a missing document or data-entry error. Caseworker mistakes happen, and a phone call often fixes them faster than an appeal.

If the decision still looks wrong, you have 90 days from the date on the denial notice to request a fair hearing. That’s a free, independent review where you can present evidence, such as corrected pay stubs or proof the state miscounted your household. You can represent yourself or bring someone to help.

Plan Ahead for Renewal

CHIP coverage runs in 12-month enrollment periods. As the year ends, HHSC tries to renew automatically by checking electronic records. If it can’t verify your family still qualifies, it sends Form H1020 asking for updated information, and that form needs to reach HHSC before the end of the 11th month of the enrollment period to avoid a gap.⁸ Watch your mail carefully around months 10 and 11. If the renewal is complete but the next year’s enrollment fee hasn’t been paid, there’s a one-month grace period; past that, coverage stops and you’d have to re-enroll.

Pregnant? Use the Same Form

If you’re pregnant and don’t qualify for Medicaid or have other insurance, Texas offers CHIP Perinatal, which covers pregnancy-related care and two postpartum visits within 60 days after the pregnancy ends. The monthly income limit for a family of four is $5,555.⁹ You apply using the same Form H1010, and HHSC will screen you for both Medicaid and CHIP Perinatal based on the income you report.

1
Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1010 Texas Works Application for Assistance – Your Texas Benefits
2
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook C-130 Medical Programs
3
HealthCare.gov. Federal Poverty Level
4
Cornell Law Institute. Texas Administrative Code 1-370.42 – Age Limits
5
Medicaid. SHO 26-001 RE Implementation of Section 71109 Alien Medicaid Eligibility of the Working Families Tax Cut Legislation
6
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook D-230 Application Processing Time Frames
7
Texas Health and Human Services. Children’s Health Insurance Program
8
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook D-1630 Timely Redeterminations
9
Texas Health and Human Services. Medicaid for Pregnant Women and CHIP Perinatal