F-110, Application Procedures

Revision 20-2; Effective April 1, 2020

The Former Foster Care in Higher Education (FFCHE) program provides medical coverage to certain former foster care youth enrolled in an institution of higher education located in Texas. FFCHE is funded entirely by the state and is not considered Medicaid. It is identified as a Health Care Benefits program instead of Medicaid or medical assistance.

People living in Texas who age out of foster care under an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) agreement may be eligible for FFCHE or Medicaid for Transitioning Foster Care Youth (MTFCY), explained in Part M, Medicaid for Transitioning Foster Care Youth (MTFCY). Automatically recertify current FFCHE recipients who are up for eligibility redetermination.

A person who ages out of foster care under an ICPC agreement may apply for FFCHE by completing Form H1205, Texas Streamlined Application, or Form H1205-S and submitting the form:

or

  • by toll-free fax to 877-447-2839.

Applicants may request to apply for FFCHE as explained in A-113, Application Requests and Submissions.

When a request for Form H1205 is received, Centralized Benefit Services (CBS) staff determine if the applicant needs the English or Spanish version of the form.

Note: CBS staff accept any of the applications explained in A-113, Application Requests and Submissions, and request any additional information needed to make an eligibility determination.

If a local eligibility determination office receives an application, staff must date stamp and fax the application to the DPC non-expedited fax line (877-447-2839) no later than the next business day.

Note: Policy found in A-121, Receipt of Application, outlines what constitutes a valid application and what process to follow when the agency receives an incomplete application.

Related Policy

Receipt of Application, A-121
Registering to Vote, A-1521

 

F—111 Type of Assistance (TA) 77 – Health Care – FFCHE

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

To be eligible for FFCHE benefits, a person must:

  • have had an ICPC agreement*;
  • currently reside in Texas;
  • be ages 21 up to 23;
  • have been in any state's conservatorship on their 18th birthday;
  • be enrolled in an institution of higher education located in Texas;
  • not have adequate health coverage as defined by HHSC; and
  • meet all other medical programs eligibility criteria such as citizenship or alien eligibility.

*Staff must contact the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to determine whether the person had an ICPC agreement. DFPS has three business days to respond.

Specialized staff process all FFCHE case actions.

 

F—112 Reserved for Future Use

Revision 20-2; Effective April 1, 2020

 

F—113 Reserved for Future Use

Revision 20-2; Effective April 1, 2020

 

F—114 Authorized Representatives (AR)

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

An individual may designate an individual or organization as an AR, following the policy explained in A-170, Authorized Representatives (AR).

F-120, Office Procedures

F—121 Reserved for Future Use

Revision 20-2; Effective April 1, 2020

 

F—122 File Date

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

The file date is the day any local eligibility determination office, call center vendor, or other HHSC-contracted entity accepts an application containing the applicant's name, address and an appropriate signature. The file date is considered day zero in the application process.

Advisors must document why a certain file date was used to determine eligibility when:

  • the file date used differs from the received date on the application, or
  • the application has two received dates (stamp dates).

Note: For applications received outside of normal business hours, the file date is the next business day.

F-130, Interviews

F—131 General Policy

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

An interview is not required when applying for or renewing an application for the FFCHE program. Advisors must schedule a phone interview only if the individual requests an interview. The State Portal Scheduler does not support scheduling an interview for the FFCHE program. Any requests for an interview must be scheduled manually.

Note: An application must not be denied if the applicant misses the interview, and the advisor should continue to determine eligibility.