Alerts

Attention Residents in Tyler County and the Surrounding Area:

A Tyler County Judge has issued a MANDATORY EVACUATION for residents living near Recreational Road 255 in Tyler County.

This is due to an ongoing fire that has burned 2,000 acres in the area.

A shelter is ready to accept residents at the Colmesneil High School Gym, 610 W. Elder St. in Colmesneil. Residents may also bring household pets to the Animal Shelter that is on standby at the Tyler County Fairgrounds, CR-2025 in Woodville.

Mosquito Repellent Available As Statewide Benefit

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) covers certain mosquito repellent products for the prevention of Zika virus as a benefit in CHIP, Medicaid and other state programs.

Benefit Details

This is a year-round benefit.
One can/bottle of mosquito repellent is permitted per person, with one refill allowed per month.
Mosquito repellent will not count against the monthly three-prescription limit for someone with a monthly prescription limit.
There is no cost to people enrolled in Medicaid, Title V Prenatal Medical Fee-for-Service Program, CSHCN or HTW.
People enrolled in CHIP may pay the generic copay, or less, if the cost of the repellent is less than the copay.

Many pharmacies can provide you mosquito repellent with a valid prescription from your doctor. Contact your pharmacy to make sure they are participating in this benefit. To find your pharmacy’s phone number, you can use the online Pharmacy Search at txvendordrug.com . If you are enrolled in managed care, refer to your health plan’s website or call the Member Services number on the back of your Member ID card.

Go to TexasZika.org/prevention.htm for more information.

You may have a co-pay for CHIP services starting May 12, 2023.

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) waived co-pays for doctor visits for Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) members. This will end on May 11, 2023.

For most types of doctor visits scheduled on or after May 12, 2023, you’ll have to pay a co-pay. You won’t have to co-pay for the following types of doctor visits:

Check-ups.
Mental health and substance use disorder treatment services.
COVID-19-related office visits for COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatment.

The amount you will need to co-pay is on your CHIP member ID card.

Your co-pay amount was based on your income when you enrolled in CHIP. You do not have to co-pay for CHIP services if you are:

Native American
An Alaska Native
A CHIP Perinatal member

If you have any questions, call CHIP Toll free line 1-866-959-6555 & TTY 800-735-2989 (Texas Relay) or 7-1-1.

You can use YourTexasBenefits.com or the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage your benefits and update HHSC of any changes, like a new address or income.

Important Recall on Infant Powdered Plant-Based Formula

Texas Children’s Health Plan received notice of an urgent recall from The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain infant powdered plant-based formulas.

The FDA is warning parents not to use the recalled products. These recalled powdered infant formulas may be contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacterium that can cause severe illness caused by food contamination.

Which formulas are included in the recall?

The recall includes two (2) select batches of Enfamil ProSobee 12.9 oz. Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula. Check the lot number on the bottom of the formula to see if it has the following:

Batch codes ZL2HZF and ZL2HZZ; and
UPC Code of 300871214415; and
“Use-By Date” of “1 Mar 2024.”

If your lot number is not in this range, your lot is safe and you can continue to use the formula.

Check to see if your product is recalled:

Enter the lot number on the bottom of the formula on the Enfamil website. If your product is included in the recall, do not use it but do not throw it away.

What do I do if my formula is part of the recall?

If your formula is part of the recall, do not use it. A contaminated formula could make your baby very sick. Click here to obtain a refund or replacement or you can also call Enfamil at 1-800-479-0551 to get a refund or replacement. Recalled infant formula can be returned to the store for an exchange. If you received formula from WIC, you can return it to WIC for an exchange. For special formulas that require a prescription, contact your baby’s doctor to get a new one. If you have questions, please contact your child’s doctor.

What if my formula is not available?

If your formula is not available, contact your child’s health care doctor to talk about new feeding options.

Need help finding a provider? Go to www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/doctor

Is there a list of other brands I can use?

For Enfamil ProSobee 12.9 oz. Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula, WIC has temporarily added more options so parents can find a formula that meets their babies’ needs without updating their cards. For a list of brands that you can get with WIC, visit texaswic.org/about-wic/special-wic-food-updates.

Who can I reach out to for help?

If you have questions, call your child’s health care provider. If you need help in connecting with your provider or finding a provider, go to www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/doctor or call Member Services at (CHIP) 1-866-959-6555, (STAR) 1-866-959-2555 or (STAR Kids) 1-800-659-5764.

You can also call your care coordinator for help. Interested in joining our case management program? Call us at 832-828-1430.

Facts about the Cronobacter bacteria:

Cronobacter bacteria can cause severe, life-threatening infections (sepsis) or meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spine). It may also cause bowel damage and spread through the blood to other parts of the body. Symptoms to watch for:

Poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice (yellow skin and whites of the eyes), grunting breaths and abnormal movements. 

The health of our members is our top priority. If you have used this product and are concerned about the health of your child, please contact your child’s pediatrician. If your child has any of the above symptoms, please call your child’s health care doctor and seek medical care immediately.

To learn more about Cronobacter, please visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additional Resources:

Find more about the recall at the Food and Drug Administration.

See how WIC is helping families get replacement formula: www.texaswic.org/health-partners

Enfamil’s recall notice and general FAQs: www.enfamil.com/prosobee-recall-2023/

ATTENTION MEMBERS: Flexible appeal policy ending soon!

HHSC Policy Flexibility for Member State Fair Hearings ends on May 11, 2023

In January 2020, the federal government declared a public health emergency (PHE) in response to COVID-19. Under the PHE, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) provided certain flexibilities, including allowing Medicaid members more time to request a fair hearing. Instead of 120 days to request a fair hearing after the internal MCO appeal, members were given up to 150 days to request a fair hearing with HHSC during the PHE.

HHSC will be ending this flexibility on May 11, 2023.

Starting on May 12, 2023, if you receive a “Member Notice of MCO Internal Appeal Decision” and want to appeal it, you must file your request for a fair hearing with or without an external medical review no less than 90 calendar days and no more than 120 calendar days from the date the notice is mailed. State fair hearing requests filed past this deadline may not be reviewed.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Member Services at:

CHIP 832-828-1002 / 1-866-959-6555
STAR 832-828-1001 / 1-866-959-2555
STAR Kids 832-828-1003 / 1-800-659-5764

About Us