You’ve done the research. You know your child needs ABA therapy. And you have CHIP — the Children’s Health Insurance Program — which covers a lot of what your family needs.
So when you start looking into whether CHIP covers ABA therapy in Texas, you expect a straightforward yes.
The answer, unfortunately, is no. And the fact that this isn’t clearly explained almost anywhere is a genuine problem for Texas families.
This article gives you the honest answer — what CHIP covers, what it doesn’t, why ABA isn’t included, and what your family can do to access ABA therapy coverage in Texas.
If you’d like to understand your coverage options before taking any next steps, check your insurance coverage with Luna Family Autism — we accept Medicaid and major commercial insurance in Texas, and we can help you figure out what applies to your family.
What Is CHIP in Texas?
CHIP — the Children’s Health Insurance Program — is a federally funded, state-administered health insurance program for children in families whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but who can’t afford private insurance.
In Texas, CHIP is administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). It covers children ages 18 and younger (and in some cases up to 20) who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents living in Texas.
CHIP vs. Medicaid: The Key Difference
These two programs are often confused, and the distinction matters significantly when it comes to ABA therapy.
| Texas Medicaid (STAR) | Texas CHIP | |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Lower-income families | Families between Medicaid income limit and what private insurance would cost |
| ABA therapy coverage | ✅ Yes (since February 2022) | ❌ No |
| Cost to family | $0 | Up to $50/year enrollment + $3–$35 copays |
| Age range for ABA | Up to age 20 with ASD | N/A — not covered |
| How to apply | yourtexasbenefits.com or call 2-1-1 | Same |
As Texas Children’s Hospital’s financial resources page notes: if your family qualifies for Medicaid, there is no cost for ABA services. If your family qualifies for CHIP, copays apply — but ABA therapy is not part of what CHIP covers.
Does Texas CHIP Cover ABA Therapy?
No. As of 2026, ABA therapy for autism is not a covered benefit under Texas CHIP.
This is confirmed by Texas Children’s Health Plan, Community Health Choice, Texas Children’s Hospital, and multiple state-affiliated sources. The autism ABA benefit that was added to Texas Medicaid in February 2022 — a significant expansion — was not extended to CHIP.
This gap surprises many families. CHIP and Medicaid are often grouped together in conversations about “government health coverage,” and they share many benefits. But ABA therapy is one area where the two programs diverge sharply in Texas.
Why Doesn’t CHIP Cover ABA?
The short answer is that the February 2022 ABA expansion was added specifically to the Texas Medicaid program — through the Texas Health Steps-Comprehensive Care Program (THSteps-CCP) — and was not included in the CHIP benefit package. According to Superior Health Plan, the ABA benefit applies to STAR, STAR Health, and STAR Kids programs — all Medicaid programs — not to CHIP.
Whether CHIP will eventually be updated to include ABA is uncertain. Advocacy organizations continue to push for this expansion, but as of May 2026, it has not happened in Texas.
What Is CHIP Perinate — and Does It Cover ABA?
If you’ve seen “CHIP Perinate” come up in your research, here’s what it is: a separate program that provides prenatal coverage for the unborn child of a pregnant woman who qualifies for CHIP but not Medicaid.
CHIP Perinate is prenatal coverage — for the period before birth. It does not provide ongoing health insurance for the child after delivery, and it does not cover ABA therapy. If you came across this term while searching for autism coverage, you can set it aside — it’s a different program that doesn’t apply to post-birth autism services.
What Does Texas CHIP Cover for Children with Autism?
CHIP is not without value for families of autistic children — it simply doesn’t cover ABA therapy specifically. Under Texas CHIP, your child can still access:
- Regular doctor visits and specialist referrals, including developmental pediatricians
- Speech therapy (for communication-related goals)
- Occupational therapy (for daily living and sensory support)
- Physical therapy (where medically indicated)
- Mental health care, including therapy for anxiety and behavioral support
- Prescription medications (relevant for co-occurring conditions like ADHD or anxiety)
- Diagnostic evaluations that establish or document an ASD diagnosis
- Hospital care and medical services
These are meaningful services. CHIP provides a real floor of coverage for many autism-related needs. The gap is specifically ABA — the most intensive, evidence-based behavioral intervention for autism.
Learn how ABA therapy compares to speech therapy and OT if you’re still building your understanding of what each approach offers and why ABA is often the behavioral backbone that makes other therapies more effective.
What Texas CHIP Families Can Do to Access ABA Therapy
The absence of ABA from CHIP doesn’t mean your only options are expensive private-pay therapy or going without. Here are the realistic paths available to Texas families.
Option 1: Check Whether Your Family Qualifies for Texas Medicaid
This is the most important question to ask. CHIP and Medicaid have overlapping eligibility criteria, and income levels shift as families change. If your income has decreased since you enrolled in CHIP, or if there are changes in your household, your family might now qualify for Medicaid — which covers ABA at $0 cost to your family.
Medicaid income eligibility varies by family size and is updated periodically. The general threshold is roughly 139% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or below for children’s Medicaid.
To check your eligibility:
- Visit yourtexasbenefits.com
- Call 2-1-1 (free, statewide)
- Call the Texas STAR Program Helpline: 1-800-964-2777
If your child qualifies for Medicaid, they can access ABA therapy through the Texas STAR program with no cost to your family. If you enroll in Luna through Medicaid, there is no cost to your family for virtual ABA therapy.
Option 2: Explore Commercial Insurance
If your family doesn’t qualify for Medicaid, commercial (private) insurance is the most common path to ABA coverage for CHIP families who need ABA.
Texas has an autism insurance mandate requiring fully insured health plans to cover autism-related services, including ABA therapy. This means many employer-sponsored and marketplace insurance plans are required to cover ABA.
Important note: Self-funded employer plans (often large employers) are regulated by federal law (ERISA), not Texas state law, and may not be subject to this mandate. Always confirm ABA coverage directly with your insurance carrier.
Luna accepts major commercial insurance plans in Texas and can help you verify coverage before your family commits to anything. Check your ABA therapy coverage with Luna — no forms, no commitment.
Option 3: CHIP Families With Commercial Insurance
Some Texas families have CHIP as secondary coverage alongside commercial insurance. If your primary commercial plan covers ABA therapy and Luna is an in-network provider, you may be able to access ABA without CHIP needing to cover it.
How Luna Helps Texas Families Navigate This
We hear some version of “I have CHIP — are we covered?” frequently. The answer requires a real conversation, not a form submission. That’s why Luna’s intake process begins with a straightforward insurance review, not a waitlist.
Here’s what to expect:
- You reach out. No paperwork upfront.
- We review your coverage. We check whether your family qualifies for Medicaid, what your commercial plan covers, and what prior authorization will involve.
- We explain what we find. Clearly, in plain language. You’ll know what’s covered, what’s not, and what the out-of-pocket picture looks like before anything starts.
- If you qualify, we can begin within days. No months-long waitlist. No clinic commute. Sessions happen at home, via secure video, on a schedule that fits your family.
Luna accepts Texas Medicaid (STAR) and major commercial insurance plans. Most families who qualify for Medicaid pay $0 for virtual ABA therapy.
See how Luna accepts Medicaid and major insurance plans in Texas — or learn more about ABA therapy and insurance coverage to understand the full picture before you call.
What to Remember
Texas CHIP is a genuinely valuable program — but it currently has a real gap when it comes to ABA therapy for autism.
If your child is on CHIP and needs ABA:
- Medicaid (STAR) is the primary route — and worth checking your eligibility, especially if your income has changed
- Commercial insurance may cover ABA under Texas’s autism insurance mandate — verify with your insurer
- CHIP Perinate is a prenatal program — it doesn’t apply to ABA services after birth
- Luna can help you understand your options — no commitment, no upfront cost, no pressure
Getting your family the right coverage is a navigable problem. You don’t have to figure it out alone.