Summary
Over the last two years, more than one million children in Texas were removed from Medicaid and CHIP, which provide health insurance for low-income families. This change happened as part of a nationwide rollback after states expanded Medicaid coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decrease in enrollment means many children may not have other health insurance options.
Key Facts
- 1 million children in Texas lost Medicaid/CHIP coverage over two years.
- Child enrollment in these programs in Texas dropped by 27% from March 2023 to June 2025.
- The drop is part of a nationwide rollback after expanded COVID-19 Medicaid coverage.
- Federal rules required most Medicaid recipients to remain covered until March 2023.
- After March 2023, states could remove people from Medicaid rolls if they became ineligible.
- Some children might have access to other health insurance through parental employment, but others may remain uninsured.
- Children with complex health needs or from minority backgrounds might face more negative impacts due to losing coverage.
- Texas's decline in coverage varies compared to other states, which had different policies and actions during the rollback.
