Step Into a Healthy Future With Texas Health Steps!

Checkups and a Whole Lot More!

The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) service is Medicaid's comprehensive and preventive child health service for children from birth through 20 years old. In Texas, EPSDT is known as Texas Health Steps (THSteps). EPSDT was defined by federal law as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 and includes periodic medical and dental screening and treatment services, and vision and hearing screening and services. In addition, section 1905(r)(5) of the Social Security Act requires that any medically necessary healthcare service listed in the Act be provided to THSteps (EPSDT) clients 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).

The EPSDT program consist of two mutually supportive, operational components:

1. Assuring the availability and accessibility of required health care resources, and
2. Helping Medicaid clients and their parents or guardians effectively use these resources.

These components enable THSteps to manage its comprehensive child health program of prevention and treatment by:

• Seeking out clients and informing them of the benefits of prevention and the health services and assistance available,
• Helping clients and their families effectively and efficiently use these health resources, including using their own talents and knowledge,
• Enabling clients to seek assessment of their child's health needs through initial and periodic examinations and evaluations by a pool of qualified providers, and
• Assuring that the health problems found are diagnosed and treated early, before they become more complex.

Texas Health Steps, a program focusing on the medical, dental, and case management services for those aged 0 through 20 years, is dedicated to:

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

Expanding Client Awareness of Existing Health, Dental, and Case Management Services

Through outreach and informing efforts, THSteps expands client awareness of existing health, dental, and case management services. If your child is enrolled in Medicaid and is under 21 years old, call a THSteps Outreach Counselor to learn more about THSteps. Outreach Counselors are ready to help you Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, at:

Recruiting And Retaining a Qualified Provider Pool

Medical, dental, case management, and other providers are the cornerstone to making sure the young people of Texas receive THSteps services on an early and regular basis. The THSteps Program is committed to recruiting and retaining qualified providers to assure comprehensive preventive health and dental services are available. Providers performing medical services who wish to be eligible for reimbursement for providing Medicaid and THSteps services must enroll in these programs through the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership.

E-mail the Texas Health Steps Program.