Step Into a Healthy Future With Texas Health Steps!

About Texas Health Steps

The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) service is Medicaid's comprehensive preventive child health service (medical, dental, and case management ) for individuals younger than 21 years of age. In Texas EPSDT is known as the Texas Health Steps (THSteps) Program. EPSDT was defined by federal law as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1989 legislation and includes periodic screening, vision, hearing, and dental preventive and treatment services. In addition, Section 1905(r)(5) of the Social Security Act requires that any medically necessary health care service listed in the Act be provided to THSteps (EPSDT) recipients even if the service is not available under the State's Medicaid plan to the rest of the Medicaid population. These additional services are available through the Comprehensive Care Program (CCP).

THSteps is dedicated to:

• Expanding recipient awareness of existing medical, dental, and case management services, and;
• Recruiting and retaining a qualified provider pool to assure the availability of comprehensive preventive medical, dental, and case management services.

THSteps is a service under Medicaid. THSteps gives medical and dental check-ups and care and case management services to children from birth to age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. THSteps will help you:

• Find a doctor or dentist for your child;
• Set up a time for your child to see a doctor or dentist;
• Get a ride or money for gas to get to a medical or dental appointment, and;
• With any questions you may have about the services your child can get.

• Medical, dental, case management, and other providers are the cornerstone to making sure the young people of Texas receive THSteps medical and dental preventive and treatment services.
• THSteps is committed to providing reimbursement and training and to recruiting and retaining qualified providers so that these comprehensive health services are available.
• Providers performing medical, dental, and case management services who wish to be eligible for reimbursement for Title XIX (Medicaid and THSteps) benefits must enroll in these programs through the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership.
• To enroll in the Texas Medicaid and THSteps Medical Program, providers must be a/an:
• Physician (doctor of medicine [MD] and doctor of osteopathy [DO]) currently licensed in the state where the service is provided. Note: Providers cannot be enrolled if their professional license is due to expire within 30 days of application.
• Health care provider or facility (public or private) capable of performing the required medical checkup procedures under a physician's direction, such as regional and local health departments, family planning clinics, migrant health clinics, community-based hospitals and clinics, maternity clinics (MSCs), rural health clinics (RHCs), federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), home health agencies (HHAs), school districts, and family or pediatric nurse practitioners. In the case of a clinic, a physician is not required to be present in the clinic at all times during the hours of operation; however, a physician must assume responsibility for the clinic's operation.
• Physician Assistants, and family and pediatric nurse practitioner enrolled independently.
• Certified nurse-midwive (CNM) enrolled as a provider of THSteps medical checkups for newborns younger than 2 months of age and adolescent females.
• Women's health care nurse practitioner enrolled as a provider of THSteps medical checkups for adolescent females.
• Adult nurse practitioner enrolled as a provider of THSteps checkups for adolescents.
• For additional restrictions and educational requirements, please see the THSteps Section 43 of the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual available on the TMHP web site.