What Does Healthy Texas Women Cover: HTW Plus and Eligibility

Healthy Texas Women covers a defined list of women’s health, family planning, and preventive services at no cost to eligible low-income, uninsured Texas women between 15 and 44. The covered services include birth control, well-woman and pelvic exams, pregnancy testing, STI and HIV screening, breast and cervical cancer screening, screening and treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, postpartum depression screening and treatment, and immunizations. Women who’ve been pregnant in the past 12 months can also receive an enhanced package called HTW Plus, which adds mental health care, cardiovascular treatment, and substance use disorder services. It is not full health insurance; it pays only for what’s on its benefits list.

Services Covered Under the Standard Program

Family planning is the largest piece. The program pays for oral contraceptive pills, long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUDs and implants, injectable contraceptives, condoms, diaphragms, vaginal spermicide, and permanent sterilization including tubal ligations. Providers must offer a free choice among medically appropriate methods, and pharmacies may dispense up to a one-year supply of contraceptives within a 12-month period.¹ Sterilization requires the patient to be at least 21 and to have signed a consent form at least 30 days before surgery.²

Preventive and screening services include pelvic examinations and well-woman exams, pregnancy testing, STI testing and treatment, standalone HIV screening, clinical breast examinations, mammograms, and cervical cancer screening (Pap tests and HPV testing).¹³

The program also pays for screening and treatment of three chronic conditions: high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Postpartum depression screening and treatment are covered as a standard benefit, not just under HTW Plus.¹ A range of vaccinations is covered, including HPV, hepatitis, and MMR.³

Many of these services can be delivered through telehealth. Audiovisual telehealth became a permanent benefit effective September 1, 2022, and audio-only phone visits are allowed for certain behavioral health and evaluation services when clinically appropriate.⁴

Prescription drugs tied to covered benefit categories are included through the program’s own formulary, which covers prescription and over-the-counter products. Effective July 1, 2026, the formulary expands to cover all Medicaid-eligible drugs within HTW’s covered health care categories, aligning drug coverage with Texas Medicaid rules, including the state preferred drug list and clinical prior authorization requirements.⁵

There is no copay, deductible, or other cost-sharing. Covered services are free at the point of care.⁶

What HTW Plus Adds for the First Year After Pregnancy

HTW Plus is an automatic add-on package for women who have been pregnant within the past 12 months. It launched September 1, 2020, and does not require a separate application; eligibility is set when a woman enrolls in HTW and reports a recent pregnancy.⁷⁸ Enrollees get everything in the standard program, plus expanded coverage in three areas tied to leading causes of maternal illness and death.

For mental health, HTW Plus covers individual, family, and group psychotherapy, along with peer specialist services, for postpartum depression and other mental health conditions.¹ For cardiovascular and coronary conditions, it covers imaging and laboratory studies, blood pressure monitoring equipment, and medications including anticoagulants, antiplatelets, and antihypertensives.⁹ For substance use disorders, it covers screenings, brief interventions, treatment referrals, outpatient counseling, smoking cessation services, medication-assisted treatment, and peer specialist services for drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.

HTW Plus also covers more detailed diabetes management than the standard program, including HbA1c laboratory monitoring, blood glucose testing supplies, glucose monitors, and additional injectable insulin options. Asthma medications and supplies are also covered.¹⁰ These enhanced benefits last up to 12 months from the enrollment date, intended to maintain continuity of care for chronic conditions treated during pregnancy.⁹

What the Program Does Not Cover

HTW is a limited-benefit program. It pays only for the specific services on its list, and the gaps matter if you’re relying on it as your only source of care.

General medical care. Hospital stays, emergency room visits, and doctor visits for conditions outside the benefits list aren’t covered.¹¹
Cancer treatment. If a screening finds cancer, the program refers the patient out for treatment, and the patient may be responsible for those costs. Uninsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer can apply for Medicaid for Breast and Cervical Cancer through BCCS providers.¹²¹³
Prenatal care and delivery. Pregnant women are not eligible for HTW. A participant who becomes pregnant is referred to Medicaid for Pregnant Women.¹
Abortions. Both elective and non-elective abortions are excluded. The program also doesn’t reimburse for office visits in which patients are referred for elective abortions.¹¹
Dental, vision, and specialty services. Dental, vision, podiatry, chiropractic, and home health services are excluded.¹⁴

When a provider identifies a health issue outside the program’s scope, the patient is referred elsewhere and may need to pay for those services out of pocket.¹²

Who Qualifies

To qualify, a woman must be between 15 and 44 years old, a Texas resident, and a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant. She must not be pregnant, must not have health insurance, and must not be enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare Part A or B, or CHIP.¹⁵

Household income must fall at or below 204.2% of the federal poverty level. Under the income guidelines effective March 2024 through February 2025, that means a monthly cap of $2,563 for a single person and $5,310 for a family of four.¹⁵ Applicants aged 15 to 17 need a parent or legal guardian to apply on their behalf.¹⁶

Enrollment runs for 12 continuous months. Women whose Medicaid for Pregnant Women coverage is ending may be automatically enrolled in HTW if they still meet the criteria, and they’ll receive a confirmation letter from Texas Health and Human Services.¹

How to Apply

You can apply four ways:

Online at YourTexasBenefits.com (desktop only).
By mail or fax, using the downloadable application sent to the program’s Austin address or faxed toll-free to 1-866-993-9971.
In person at a participating clinic or a WIC Nutrition Program office.
By phone at 2-1-1, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time.

You’ll need proof of identity, income (such as recent pay stubs), and citizenship or immigration status. A U.S. passport or certificate of naturalization covers both identity and citizenship. Otherwise, bring one document showing citizenship (such as a birth certificate) and one showing identity (such as a photo driver’s license). These documents only need to be provided once.⁸

How HTW Fits With Other Texas Women’s Programs

Because HTW’s benefits are narrow, it works alongside several other Texas programs, and the right one depends on your situation. Medicaid for Pregnant Women covers prenatal visits, delivery, and up to 12 months of postpartum care, which HTW does not. CHIP Perinatal is available to pregnant women who don’t qualify for Medicaid and lack other insurance. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS) program provides more extensive diagnostic services than HTW, including biopsies and colposcopies, but it only screens and diagnoses; women diagnosed with cancer through BCCS can apply for Medicaid for Breast and Cervical Cancer for treatment coverage.¹⁷

You can’t be enrolled in HTW at the same time as Medicaid or CHIP. If you become pregnant while on HTW, you’re moved to Medicaid for Pregnant Women. When that coverage ends after the postpartum period, you may be automatically moved back into HTW if you still meet the eligibility rules.¹

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Healthy Texas Women. HTW Benefits
2
TMHP. Healthy Texas Women Program Handbook
3
TMHP. Healthy Texas Women Program Handbook, February 2026
4
TMHP. Telemedicine and Telehealth Services HTW and HTW Plus Programs
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TMHP. Expanded Drug List and New Prior Authorizations HTW Effective July 1, 2026
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Texas Health and Human Services. Healthy Texas Women FAQs
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Healthy Texas Women. Healthy Texas Women
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Healthy Texas Women. HTW How to Apply
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TMHP. Healthy Texas Women Program Handbook, April 2024
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TMHP. Healthy Texas Women Program Handbook
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TMHP. Healthy Texas Women Program Handbook, May 2025
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Healthy Texas Women. HTW Questions and Answers
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Healthy Texas Women. BCCS Benefits
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Medicaid.gov. Texas Healthy Women Program Application
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Healthy Texas Women. HTW Who Can Apply
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Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook – Healthy Texas Women
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Texas Health and Human Services. Programs for Women