Health Insurance for College Students

Resources for Students and Parents

If you (or your family) are eligible for welfare assistance from the government (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), you automatically qualify for Medicaid. If you are not receiving TANF, you may still qualify based on whether you:

  • Have high medical bills you cannot pay
  • Have previously received TANF but are now working or whose time limits have expired
  • Are under age 19 from a low-income family or pregnant
  • Are a youth aging out of foster care

These are just some of the qualifying factors. To determine your eligibility, you should contact your local HHSC Eligibility Office or call 2-1-1 to speak to a Health and Human Services representative who can help you know whether you can receive Medicaid.

Medicaid coverage varies from state to state so you will need to find out what your specific coverage is if you qualify. Some aspects of care are completely paid for but others will require a small co-pay or contribution from you. Medicaid typically covers preventive care, hospitalization, treatment of illness or injury, and vision care.

If you already have health care insurance and are eligible for Medicaid, do NOT automatically cancel your health insurance. In some cases, Medicaid will pay for or help to pay for your premiums in which case you can keep the plan you already have and use Medicaid as a supplement to your current plan.

Fast Facts

  • Enacted in 1965, Medicaid has become the backbone of this country's health care safety net, providing health coverage for nearly 59 million low-income Americans, including families, people with disabilities, and the elderly.
  • Today, Medicaid provides coverage for almost 30 million children and pays for approximately half of all long-term care costs in the United States.
  • Generally speaking, each state receives matching dollars from the federal government, and those matching rates vary across the states from 50 to 76 percent.
  • States can use the Medicaid waiver process to greatly alter their programs in both positive and negative ways. Waivers allow states to use Medicaid dollars in ways that go beyond the scope of federal law.