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Our financial assistance and public benefits advocates help low-income families access nutritional, financial, and income-support benefits. We can help with  Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the program formerly known as Food Stamps Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Social Security County Indigent Healthcare Unemployment Insurance Medicare/Medicaid Discrimination in government programs for race, national origin, sex, pregnancy, […]

Workplace violence (WPV) is any act or threat of violence, harassment, intimidation, or disruptive behavior that occurs in a workplace. Hospitals and health systems have vigorous protocols to detect violence against their staff. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care field has seen an increase in workplace violence and studies show rates will not be receding anytime […]

The rise in recent school shootings Mass school shootings are a traumatic event that can potentially trigger mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people who were directly impacted by a violent threat such as a school shooting. Studies show that adolescent trauma has more lifelong effects on young people with developing brains. This causes them to […]

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has 30 days to act on a client’s SNAP benefits application and 45 days to act on Medicaid cases. Jack was referred to Lone Star Legal Aid by BakerRipley and needed SNAP benefits for a household of four people. Jack submitted an initial SNAP application on February 8, 2022, and after 80 days, […]

Children in Texas can get low-cost or free health coverage through Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Children’s Medicaid. CHIP is a health care program for children without insurance whose families earn too much to receive Children’s Medicaid but cannot afford health care. Children’s Medicaid is a program for low-income families. To get approved for either program, a child must […]

The COVID-19 global health pandemic has caused widespread damage, including damage to the economy, right here in the United States. Families are suffering. They are desperate for money, food, shelter, and now, they need benefits to feed their families and take care of their children. COVID-19 has impacted family life, but thankfully Lone Star Legal Aid can help families obtain public […]

Last Tuesday, the Connecting Texas Kids to Coverage Unit at Lone Star Legal Aid participated in an outreach at Lantrip Elementary School to educate parents on CHIP and Children’s Medicaid. We have a dedicated a team of lawyers and paralegals who can help applicants who qualify for our services apply for Children’s Medicaid or CHIP benefits. We can enroll on […]

The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign is a national outreach and enrollment initiative that aims to connect families with children and teens with Children’s Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This year’s campaign theme is to take care of teeth and keep smiles healthy. The mission is to:   Raise awareness about health coverage available under these programs; […]

April 7, 2022 is World Health Day. Lone Star Legal Aid’s Connecting Texas Kids to Medical Coverage Unit provides legal assistance to those who need help accessing health care benefits for their children. There are 623,000 children without health insurance in Texas. Those who lack insurance coverage typically experience far worse health status than those insured. Uninsured children in Texas […]

Taylor was caring for her sister’s four children when the youngest, Cameron, just 20-months-old, was denied health benefits while the other three were approved. After submitting documents to prove to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) that she was the caretaker of the child, HHSC denied the application again. Taylor’s sister is a repeated drug abuser, […]

Texas has the 8th highest obesity rate for youth ages 10-17 and the 12th highest adult obesity rate in the U.S and it is only getting worse. Childhood obesity results in extra health care costs. A child with obesity has $12,900 more in medical costs than a child with normal weight. It is vital that we get our kids insured […]

Medicaid provides coverage to a vast population, including seniors, the disabled, pregnant women, children, and adults who are not disabled. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, states regularly reviewed benefit recipients’ eligibility based on their income, age, or disability status. To lessen the burdens on parents during the public health emergency, HHSC temporarily waived renewal requirements for Medicaid and SNAP clients. While […]

We have a dedicated team of lawyers and paralegals who can help applicants who qualify for our services apply for Children’s Medicaid or CHIP benefits. We can enroll on your behalf, monitor the progress of your application, and notify you when a decision has been made. We can also help recertify your application when it is time for your renewal. […]

TEXAS MEDICAID AND CHIP PROGRAMS Texas Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offer parents peace of mind knowing their children can get the routine preventative care they need, when they need it, keeping them healthy.  These programs secure medical coverage benefits for more than 45 million children. Despite the number of those covered, there are still many children […]

Natalie Cochran met with Christian Pineda and Elizabeth Green from Lone Star Legal Aid to discuss what the public charge rule is in Texas and how it affects immigrants and their families, including their children, from accessing critical government services available to them. Listen here starting at 52:20.

Houston, TX – The No Surprises Act (NSA) establishes new federal protections against surprise medical bills. If you’ve ever received a surprise bill after a trip to an emergency room, after thinking it would be covered by insurance, it was due to something called balanced billing. Balance billing occurs when an insured patient receives care from a physician, hospital or […]