Terms of Use

The shelf life of everything on this site

Start with the thing that makes this site different from most, because it shapes every other term below. The content here is a dated snapshot of rules that change.

Federal poverty guidelines are reissued every January, and every income limit expressed as a percentage of them moves with it. The Texas Legislature meets and programs change. Premium tax credit rules have moved more than once in recent years. Counties revise their indigent care thresholds. Hospitals rewrite their financial assistance policies. A figure that was exactly right on the day it was verified can be wrong a few months later through nobody’s fault.

We handle that by dating every figure and refreshing on a published schedule (see the Editorial Policy). What we cannot do is guarantee that the page in front of you is current at the moment you are reading it. By using this site you accept the content on that basis: as dated information about what the rules said when they were checked, to be confirmed with the agency before you rely on it. If that is not a basis you can work with, the right course is to go straight to HHSC, the Marketplace, or 2-1-1 instead.

Agreement

By browsing txcare.org you accept these terms, the Privacy Policy, and the Medical Disclaimer, which forms part of these terms.

Not a government site, and not an application

Texas Care Map is independent. It is not operated by, affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by the State of Texas, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Department of Insurance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or any other government body. The .org domain and the state abbreviation in the name are not a claim to official status.

You cannot apply for any program on this site, and nothing you do here affects an application elsewhere. Applications go to YourTexasBenefits or HealthCare.gov.

Information, not determinations or advice

Everything here is general education about coverage, access, and billing. It is not an eligibility determination, not medical advice, not legal advice, and not tax advice. We are not a HIPAA covered entity and not a Certified Application Counselor organization in our site capacity. Reading the site or writing to us creates no professional relationship of any kind.

Figures, examples, and worked cases

Where we quote an income limit, a poverty guideline percentage, a discount tier, or a dollar amount, it is the published rule on the verification date shown, not a calculation of your household. Worked examples are illustrations built to explain a mechanism; they are not predictions, and no example resembling your circumstances tells you your outcome. Where we describe what a program covers or what a hospital must do, we are describing a general rule that has exceptions, local variations, and plan-specific limits.

Ownership and use of content

Unless stated otherwise, the writing and structure of this site belong to Texas Care Map and are protected by copyright. You are welcome to read it, link to it, print a page for your own use, and quote a short passage with clear credit. Advocates, caseworkers, clinic staff, and counselors are explicitly welcome to print pages and hand them to the people they are helping. Republishing or redistributing substantial parts without written permission is not allowed, and neither is republishing a figure without the verification date attached to it, since the date is the part that makes it safe.

Acceptable use

Use the site fairly and considerately. Do not attempt to disrupt or overload it, scrape it in a way that places an unreasonable burden on it, or use it for any unlawful purpose.

External links

We link to government agencies, statutes, nonprofit databases, and research organizations so you can read the source yourself. We do not control those sites, we are not responsible for their content, accuracy, availability, or privacy practices, and a link is not an endorsement. Government URLs in particular are reorganized frequently; tell us through Contact if one is broken.

Warranties and liability

The site is provided as is. We work to keep it accurate and we date what we publish, but we cannot warrant that it is complete, current, error free, or suited to your situation. To the fullest extent the law allows, Texas Care Map is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of, or reliance on, this site, including any coverage, benefit, deadline, or appeal right missed.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the site grows or the law changes, and the “Last updated” date above reflects the current version. Continued use means you accept the current version.

Questions

Send them through Contact.