Are My Kids Eligible for CHIP in El Paso County, Texas?

How CHIP eligibility works

CHIP in El Paso County, like everywhere in Texas, covers children in households earning too much for Medicaid but too little for full-price coverage, typically for a modest monthly fee well under a comparable Marketplace premium. Because the income thresholds for CHIP are meaningfully higher than Texas's adult Medicaid limit, it's entirely normal for a family in El Paso County to have parents on a Marketplace plan while the kids are covered separately through CHIP.

Applying for CHIP. CHIP applications for El Paso County residents go through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission at YourTexasBenefits.com, separate from the federal HealthCare.gov Marketplace application used for adult coverage. A Marketplace application will often flag potential CHIP eligibility for children in the household and route the family accordingly, so it's worth starting there even if you're unsure which program applies.

Why this matters for your overall plan. Understanding that your children may be on a different coverage track than you are in El Paso County changes how you should shop — rather than looking for one family plan that covers everyone, you may be comparing an adult Marketplace plan against a CHIP enrollment for the kids. See our CHIP vs. Marketplace guide for the full breakdown.

Income thresholds in context

CHIP income limits in Texas are set meaningfully higher than the state's very restrictive adult Medicaid limit, which is exactly why a family in El Paso County can have parents earning too much for Medicaid while their children still qualify for CHIP. The exact threshold depends on household size, so checking your specific numbers matters more than a general rule of thumb.

What CHIP actually costs. CHIP coverage for El Paso County families typically comes with a modest quarterly enrollment fee and small copays, well below what a comparable Marketplace plan would cost for the same child. It covers routine checkups, dental, vision, and hospital care similar to Medicaid's scope.

Renewal requirements. CHIP coverage for El Paso County families requires annual renewal with updated income and household information — missing a renewal deadline is one of the more common reasons children temporarily lose coverage, so calendar reminders are worth setting.

What CHIP covers

CHIP coverage for children in El Paso County generally mirrors Medicaid's scope — routine checkups, immunizations, dental, vision, prescriptions, and hospital care — making it a genuinely solid option rather than a bare-bones fallback, despite the low cost.

If you're on the edge of eligibility. Households in El Paso County close to the CHIP income cutoff should still apply rather than assume ineligibility — eligibility is based on your specific household size and income, and the thresholds are higher than many people expect.

Applying alongside a Marketplace application. When you apply for Marketplace coverage as an El Paso County household, the system automatically screens for CHIP and Medicaid eligibility for any children listed, so there's no need to submit a completely separate application from scratch in most cases.

One more thing to keep in mind

Even families in El Paso County who assume they earn too much for CHIP should still check — the thresholds are often higher than expected.

Related reading. See our full CHIP vs. Marketplace guide for how split-eligibility households in El Paso County typically navigate both programs together.

A final practical note. A quick call to a licensed agent can confirm CHIP eligibility for your specific El Paso County household in minutes.

Local context for El Paso County

El Paso County's economy leans on trade, logistics, the military presence at Fort Bliss, and healthcare, with its border-region position shaping both its workforce and its small-business landscape in ways distinct from the rest of Texas.

El Paso's hospital landscape includes University Medical Center of El Paso (the county's public hospital, tied to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center) and Las Palmas Medical Center. As one of Texas's largest counties, El Paso County gives Marketplace shoppers a wider choice of insurer networks and in-network hospital systems than most of the state. Pediatric and family care in El Paso County is frequently anchored at University Medical Center of El Paso, worth keeping in mind when comparing plan networks for CHIP-eligible children.

How El Paso County fits Texas's wider market. Statewide, Texas insurers raised individual Marketplace premiums by an average of 34.7% for 2026. That number lands very differently depending on subsidy eligibility: roughly 92% of enrollees get a premium tax credit, averaging around $650 a month, that offsets much of the hike, while households above the 400% federal poverty level cliff, now back in force, receive no credit whatsoever.

Where Texas's rules diverge from most states. Since Texas hasn't expanded Medicaid, adults in El Paso County without dependent children or a qualifying disability generally have no path to Medicaid at any income. An estimated 570,000 to 617,000 Texans statewide are thought to fall into that gap. Children can often still get CHIP even when a parent qualifies for nothing, and applications for both go through Your Texas Benefits (yourtexasbenefits.com) instead of HealthCare.gov.

What to have ready before requesting a quote. Treat a county average as a ballpark, not a quote. Your actual premium in El Paso County hinges on your exact ZIP code, everyone's age, your household income, and which doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions you need in-network. Gather those four details first and a licensed Texas agent can quote you quickly at no charge, since agent commissions are paid by the carrier, not the customer.