Texas Health Steps

Texas Health Steps (THSteps) are free medical and dental checkups. Checkups are a chance for a doctor or dentist to check your child’s growth and to find problems that you may not see. Your child may look and feel healthy but still have a health problem. THSteps are for babies, children, teens, and young adults age 20 and younger in Medicaid.

Checkups check your health

They include unlimited prescriptions (must be medically necessary), vaccines (shots), screenings (tests and lab work), and treatment when needed.
 
Call your child’s doctor and set up a visit. At each checkup the doctor checks your child’s growth, health, and immunizations. This is also your time to ask questions and learn more about nutrition and safety. Remember, regular checkups keep your child healthy!

Texas Health Steps checkups

A checkup will be needed at:

Birth 15 months 7 years 15 years
3-5 days 18 months 8 years 16 years
2 weeks 24 months 9 years 17 years
2 months 30 months 10 years 18 years
4 months 3 years 11 years 19 years
6 months 4 years 12 years 20 years
9 months 5 years 13 years
12 months 6 years 14 years

Babies and toddlers will need more than one THSteps checkup to protect them from illness. See above.

Rewards for checkups

Schedule the checkup on your child’s birthday or right after. FirstCare offers rewards for timely checkups. To be timely, the checkup must be on the member’s birthday or within 60 days after the member’s birthday.

Why does my child need a Texas Health Steps checkup?

"My child has already had his/her vaccines."
 
Immunizations are only part of a THSteps checkup; they are to help your child fight disease. Your doctor also needs to check to be sure your child is growing healthy and well.

What happens at a checkup?

Checkups are an important part of staying healthy. They are to find illnesses at an early stage and to prevent an illness from happening. If anything is found that requires treatment, it is best to take care of it early. If something is left untreated it might get worse.

What to expect 

  • Check height and weight to measure growth
  • Check the lungs (listens and counts number of breaths per minute)
  • Check for a healthy heart (listens and counts heart beat)
  • Check skin (sores, moles, and birthmarks)
  • Check hearing, vision, and teeth
  • Check social and emotional behavior (habits, fears, tantrums...)

 
At a checkup the doctor will ask you important questions about your child’s language, learning, play, and safety. This helps you and your doctor know that your child is developing normally for their age. This is also the best time as a parent to ask questions about your child’s health or behavior.

For more details, call THSteps toll-free at 1-877-847-8377 or visit the THSteps website.


 

 

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Need Help?
Contact Us!

Call FirstCare STAR Customer Service at 1-800-431-7798.

We're open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, excluding state approved holidays. If you call after hours, please leave us a message. We return all calls the next business day.

Our Customer Service Representatives speak both English and Spanish. If you speak another language, we can connect you with an interpreter. You can get information in larger print, audio (CD), braille or in any other language format, if needed. For help, call FirstCare STAR Customer Service at 1-800-431-7798.

Members with hearing loss can call the Relay Texas number 711. Relay Texas is a free telephone interpreting service to help people with hearing or speech disabilities.

Resources

STAR Medicaid Service Area STAR Member News

Talk to a Nurse—Nurse24™

Need care advice? Should you see a doctor? FirstCare members can talk to a nurse by calling 1-855-828-1013. Get answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Information is available in English and Spanish. Interpreter services available upon request. TTY users can call 711 or 1-800-955-8771. Voice communication is available at 1-800-955-8770.

Utilization Management

Ever wonder how we decide to authorize services? Our decisions are based on medical evidence and consensus of health care professionals.

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Grow Well™ App

Your one place to find trusted health information and connect to FirstCare resources for you and your family through every age and stage. Text “App” to 844.903.GROW (4769) or learn more here.

Helpful Links and Phone Numbers

Texas MedicaidInformation and Referral:
2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905
Enrollment Helpline: 1-800-964-2777
TTY: 1-800-735-2989
Texas Health Steps (THSteps)Health care for children, birth through age 20, who have Medicaid
1-877-847-8377 (1-877-THSTEPS)
MCNA Dental (Medicaid)Medicaid & CHIP dental plan for Texas
1-855-691-6262
TTY: 1-800-955-8771
DentaQuest (Medicaid)Medicaid & CHIP dental plan for Texas
1-800-516-0165
TTY: 1-800-855-2880
United DentalMedicaid & CHIP dental plan for Texas
1-877-901-7321
TTY: 711
Liberty Dental (Medicaid)Dental services for Medicaid STAR pregnant women age 21 and over
1-877-550-4374
Navitus Health SolutionsFirstCare’s Pharmacy Benefit Manager
1-877-908-6023
TTY: 711
OCCC Financial Literacy Information1-800-538-1579

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