How To Apply For The Healthy Texas Women Program (In Houston)

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In this community resource guide, you will learn about how to apply for the Health Texas Women’s program in Houston.

This program provides access to health care services, including preventive screenings and family planning services, to low-income women in the state of Texas. It may come as a relief to know that Texas offers such a program that offers quality healthcare and family planning services like these. Having coverage to offer reliable follow-up visits for birth control and other healthcare services can make a significant difference in your life if you have limited resources.

I’m Nick Bryant and I have worked to connect clients to community resources like affordable healthcare options for over 12 years. I have a solid understanding of where to find low-cost medical care, especially in the Houston area.

If you are looking to get more information about Healthy Texas Women coverage in Houston continue reading to learn how to access this coverage.

What Is Healthy Texas Women’s Program?

This is a health coverage program that essentially gives you access to well women’s services in Texas. Services like family planning, breast, and cervical cancer screenings, and more are offered through this program.

This program is managed by Texas Health and Human Services and this is who you can contact (512.776.7796) for more information regarding applying or the actual benefits offered.

Does Healthy Texas Women’s Program Provide Primary Care Services?

No, the Healthy Texas Women’s Program does not provide primary care services. However, if you need primary care services you can apply for Medicaid. The Texas Healthy Women’s Program only offers well women’s care, such as breast and cervical screenings and family planning.

You can visit Your Texas Benefits website to apply for Medicaid or call Texas Health and Human Services at 877.541.7905 to learn more about Medicaid coverage for women in Texas.

Eligibility Criteria for Texas Healthy Women (HTW)

The Healthy Texas Women’s Program is available to women between the ages of 15-44 who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Female, ages 15-44
For applicants 15-17, a parent or legal guardian must apply on their behalf
Countable income must be less than or equal to 204.2% of the federal poverty level

Must be a U.S. citizen or a legally admitted alien who meets all eligibility requirements for Medicaid
Must be a Texas resident
Not currently pregnant

Does not have creditable health insurance that covers family planning services
Not currently receiving Medicaid, Medicare Part A or B, or Children’s Health Insurance Program benefits

How Old Can You Be To Get Healthy Texas Women’s Coverage?

Healthy Texas Women’s Program coverage is available for women between the ages of 15-44 who meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants aged 15-17 must have a parent or legal guardian apply on their behalf.

Benefits of Texas Healthy Women

HTW provides for a continuous 12-month certification period with the following limited health care benefits:

Annual family planning exams
Family planning counseling and education

Treatment of certain sexually transmitted infections
Birth control (except emergency birth control), including methods to permanently prevent pregnancy (tubal ligations or Essure)
Follow-up family planning visits related to the method of birth control

Again if you need to see a primary care doctor, you will need to apply for Medicaid, the Harris Health Gold Card, or find a low-cost medical clinic in Houston to get treatment. If you need help with options just comment below and I can let you know more about the services that may be available to you.

Healthy Texas Women Plus Services

For women whose pregnancies ended within the 12 months preceding their enrollment into HTW, enhanced and limited postpartum care services are available through HTW+. Enhanced postpartum benefits include services that address:

Postpartum depression and other mental health conditions

Cardiovascular and coronary conditions
Substance abuse treatment for alcohol or drugs

If a woman is determined eligible for HTW and her pregnancy ended within the 12 months before her HTW eligibility date, she is eligible for HTW+ benefits during her 12-month HTW certification period.

For example, let’s say Molly is pregnant and gives birth in February 2021. She then applies for the Healthy Texas Women’s Program in March 2021. As she falls within the 12 months preceding enrollment into HTW, Molly is eligible to receive enhanced and limited postpartum care services such as diagnosis, treatment, and screenings related to pregnancy and childbirth.

How To Apply For Healthy Texas Women In Houston (In Person)

To apply for HTW in Houston, first, you need to find a clinic to screen you for eligibility.

You can visit the Healthy Texas Women “How To Apply” webpage to find a clinic to apply to. You simply need to enter your address and you will get a listing of clinics in Houston that can help you apply for Healthy Texas Women.

Once you enter your zip code or address you will see a map and listing of clinics. Some of the places that can screen you for Healthy Texas Women include Harris Health System, Baylor College of Medicine’s Teen Clinic, and Spring Branch Community Center.

Download A Health Texas Women’s Application

To download a Healthy Texas Women’s application you can visit the Your Texas Benefits website, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click “Get A Paper Form”.

The HWT application can be found on the same application as the food stamps and Medicaid applications. This application reads “Form to apply for Food Benefits (SNAP), Healthcare (Medicaid and CHIP), or cash help for families (TANF) (H1010)”. Search for that form to get a Texas Healthy Women’s application.

Editor’s Note: At this point (January 2023) Texas Health and Human Services do not have an application that reads Healthy Texas Women application.

The text that is highlighted in grey is the form you want to download. This link will take you directly to that page to get an HTW application. Click on download to see what the application looks like. It should look like the screenshot below.

Look on the right side of the application to see that Healthy Texas Women is apart of the application with SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and CHIP. If you want to apply for any of those Texas government assistance programs you can do so with the same application.

Apply For Healthy Texas Women Online

You can apply for the Healthy Texas Women program online by visiting the Your Texas Benefits website. On this website, you’ll find information about eligibility, how to apply, and more.

Editor’s Note: In my opinion, it’s probably best to apply online, because you are able to track your progress. If a document is missing you can go into your dashboard to see what is missing.

When you get a chance to select the program you want to apply for be sure to select Women’s Health Services. This will give you access to well women’s exams, birth control, and more.

What Is The Healthy Texas Women’s Phone Number?

The Healthy Texas Women Program’s phone number is 512.776.7796. You can call the number to inquire about eligibility requirements, the benefits of HTW, and how to apply.

Conclusion

Texas Healthy Women (HTW) is a program that provides limited health care benefits to eligible women in Texas. This includes medical services like:

Breast exams
Cervical screenings
Family planning services

Birth control
And more

It does not include primary care services. You will need to apply for Texas Medicaid to get those services.

If you have questions about eligibility or how to apply please let me know by commenting below. I have worked for years in Houston community clinics helping people understand what options they have for medical services. If you are a woman with a low income, this program can be really beneficial to you because a lot of the services it offers are related to preventative care.

You can also visit the Healthy Texas Women website or call them at 512.776.7796 for more information.

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Nick Bryant

Nick Bryant is the author of Understanding Healthcare Is Half The Battle and a Senior Counselor with 13+ years of experience working in community health and mental health. He enjoys spending time with his family, watching WWE on Friday nights, and working toward a Google Data Analytics certification. If you have additional questions about community resources or government assistance programs, simply leave a comment below and he will follow up as soon as possible.