Working in community health for the past 11 years I have answered lots of questions regarding different Houston community resources.
While I do not work for the Harris Health System, questions about this healthcare provider (and its Gold Card coverage) seem to be the most common for individuals that I have worked with and it’s for a good reason…
The Harris Health System is a healthcare network that offers medical coverage to Harris county residents who are considered low-income, homeless, recently laid off, or do not qualify for Medicaid.
For someone who does not work in community health, navigating the Harris Health System can seem intimidating, however, in this guide, I will do my best to answer 33 common questions that you may have about this Houston healthcare network. If at any point an answer is not detailed enough or you have a follow-up question feel free to leave a comment at the end of this article and I will answer it as soon as possible.
There is a lot to learn about the Harris Health System so let’s dive in!Editor’s note: This is general listing of questions and answers that is meant to give you a basic understanding of how the Harris Health System works. I do not work for Harris Health therefore some questions you will want to verify with them directly and you can do this by calling their eligibility line at 713.566.6509 . You can ask any question you like in the comment section at the end of this article, however, if there is a question that I cannot answer or I am uncertain of I will refer you to the Harris Health eligibility line for clarification.
Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) is a safety-net healthcare system for Houston, TX, and other cities inside of Harris County. The Harris Health System network of healthcare centers, specialty clinics, and hospitals provide medical care to Harris County residents who are considered low-income or do not qualify for other health insurance plans like Medicaid.
One of the reasons that the Harris Health System is so popular in the Houston area is due to a health coverage called the Gold Card.
The Gold Card is a form of health coverage which is offered by the Harris Health System. Despite Harris Health changing the name from Gold Card to the Financial Assistance Plan, many Harris County residents still refer to this coverage as Gold Card.
Individuals in Harris County who are considered to be low-income or uninsured can potentially qualify for the Gold Card.
The Financial Assistance Plan is the official name for the Gold Card coverage. The Gold Card is more of a slang term that local residents continue to use.
Any documents that you receive from Harris Health will refer to your coverage as the Financial Assistance Plan, although many Harris County residents still refer to this coverage as the Gold Card.
Long story short, there is no difference in coverage between the Financial Assistance Plan and the Gold Card, just a new name vs. an old name.
Those with the Gold Card will have access to these services via Harris Health health centers, specialty clinics, and hospitals.
If your household income exceeds 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines you can still receive medical treatment through the Harris Health System, however, you will not qualify for discounted medical services (Financial Assistance Plan).
You must live in Harris County to be eligible for the Gold Card. You can use the “What County Am I In?” tool to determine that you live in Harris County.
Qualifying for the Gold Card means you are eligible for the Harris Health System’s Financial Assistance Program. This program will help you with the cost of co-payments, prescriptions, and other medical bills at Harris Health clinics.
In addition, the Gold Card is provided to individuals who are considered to be low-income. The criteria for low-income is falling under 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. If your income is above 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines you will be considered a “self-pay” resident and not eligible for the Financial Assistance Program.
Again eligibility for the Gold Card is limited to only those individuals who live in Harris County. If you live in a surrounding county simply contact your city’s health department and ask them what is the name of the “safety-net healthcare program” in your area that treats the uninsured.
You must live in Harris County to be eligible for the Gold Card. You can use the “What County Am I In?” tool to type in your address if you live on the border of Harris County.
Qualifying for the Gold Card means you are eligible for the Harris Health System’s Financial Assistance Program. This program will help you with the cost of co-payments, prescriptions and other medical bills at Harris Health clinics.
In addition, the Gold Card is provided to individuals who are considered to be low-income. The criteria for low-income is falling under 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. If your income is above 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines you will be considered a “self-pay” resident and not eligible for the Financial Assistance Program.
Self-pay means you will be paying for Harris Health services yourself. Your income is above 150% of Federal Poverty Guidelines therefore you do not qualify for the Gold Card and you have no third-party health insurance like Medicaid or a private plan.
To apply for the Harris Health Gold Card you will need to complete a Gold Card application, provide the supporting documents.
You can then apply for coverage by:We have a guide titled How To Apply for the Harris Health Gold Card that will walk you through each step of this process.
To apply for Harris Health System coverage you will need to complete and submit a Gold Card application.
In addition, you will need to provide the following supporting documents:The Harris Health System website will provide you with a complete listing of supporting documents needed for Gold Card.
There are 4 Harris Health eligibility centers in the area that you can apply for Gold Card at. Those eligibility centers are:
I f these Gold Card eligibility centers are open Monday through Friday, however, the times may vary so you are encouraged to call the eligibility line at 713.566.6509 to confirm their hours of operation.
You can apply for a Gold Card at any Harris Health eligibility center. Below is a map of the eligibility centers that you can apply at.
In addition, you can also apply by completing a Gold Card application and mailing or faxing it to the Harris Health System.
You can download a Harris Health Gold Card application by using the links below. The Gold Card application comes in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Once you have completed your Gold Card application (and supporting documents) you will need to either mail it, fax it, or drop it off at one of the Harris Health eligibility centers.
The Harris Health Gold Card renewal form is the exact same form as you initially used to apply. To continue your coverage you can use one of the links below to download your Gold Card renewal form:
Once you have completed your Harris Health Gold Card renewal form (and supporting documents) you will need to either mail it, fax it, or drop it off at one of the Harris Health eligibility centers.
For more information on this process see our guided title How To Renew Your Harris Health Gold Card.
To apply for an emergency Gold Card you will need to complete a Gold Card application and then deliver it to an eligibility center.
To qualify for an expedited Gold Card you must meet the following:For more information on this process, you can contact the Harris Health eligibility line at 713.566.6509 or read our guide titled Emergency Gold Care: How To Expedite Your Harris Health Application.
To learn more about this coverage see this entry regarding Gold Card Enrollment For Homeless Individuals.
You will most likely need official documents or an ID from the U.S. to receive the Gold Card, you are entitled to emergency medical treatment in Harris Health System hospitals like Ben Taub and LBJ. A federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act or EMTALA mandates that hospitals at least screen you to see if emergency medical care is necessary and if so these hospitals will treat you.
For questions about acceptable documents you are encouraged to call the Harris Health System eligibility line at 713.566.6509 . If you are told that you will not qualify for the Gold Card an alternative is seeking treatment through a low cost medical clinic in Houston. These Houston clinics receive federal funds to treat the communities they are in and this includes immigrants and undocumented citizens.
The cost of Harris Health System operates on a “sliding scale” meaning you pay according to your monthly household income and family size. The lower your household income, the less you will pay for medical services. Below is a Harris Health System pay scale that you can use to estimate the cost of services according to your monthly income.
If you make between $0 to $1595 per month below are the potential costs that you would pay at Harris Health clinic.
If you make $1596 or more per month these are the prices you will likely pay for Harris Health services.
You can only use your Gold Card at Harris Health System health centers, specialty clinics, and hospitals. Below is a map of each Harris Health facility that accepts the Gold Card.
The Harris Health phone number is 713.566.6509 . You can learn more about eligibility, what supporting documents are needed, and even have a Gold Card mailed to your address by calling this Harris Health number.
If you already have the Gold Card and need to schedule a clinic appointment you can call the Harris Health System patient appointment line at 713.526.4243 .
Ben Taub is one of 2 Harris Health System general hospitals in Houston. LBJ is another hospital within the Harris Health network.
Ben Taub Hospital is apart of the Harris Health System network therefore the gold Card is accepted at this hospital. The Gold Card will not cover medical services at other Houston hospitals like Methodist, Memorial Hermann, St. Luke’s, etc.
LBJ Hospital is one of 2 Harris Health System general hospitals in Houston. Ben Taub is another hospital within the Harris Health network.
LBJ Hospital is apart of the Harris Health System network therefore the gold Card is accepted at this hospital. The Gold Card will not cover medical services at other Houston hospitals like Methodist, Memorial Hermann, St. Luke’s, etc.
Thomas Street Clinic is located in the North Central neighborhood and the address is 2015 Thomas Street, Houston, TX 77009. You can contact them by calling 713.873.4000 .
An operator will ask you your name and date of birth to find you in their system and then assist you with scheduling a medical appointment at a Harris Health System facility.
No, you cannot use the Gold Card at these hospitals. The Gold Card is only accepted at Harris Health clinics and hospitals. Below you will find a listing of the clinics and hospitals where the Gold Card is accepted.
Just to clarify, the Harris Health Gold Card is only accepted at Harris Health System clinics. The Gold Card will not cover medical bills at private hospitals in the area or facilities outside of Harris County.
If you need help paying for hospital bills two better options are applying for Medicaid Retroactive Coverage or checking to see if your hospital accepts funds from the Hill Burton Act.
Smith Clinic is a specialty clinic that is located in the Houston medical center. This clinic offers services like ultrasounds, MRIs, and more.
In addition, Smith clinic also specializes in the following fields of medicine:The Harris Health Smith Clinic is located in the Texas Medical Center at 2525-A Holly Hall, Houston, TX 77054. You can call them at 713.566.3600 for more information.
This Houston dialysis clinic is centrally located in the 3rd Ward neighborhood. The address is 3315 Delano St, Houston, TX 77004. The phone number to the clinic is 713.566.3900 .
Dialysis is an expensive treatment, which is why in almost every situation you will need health insurance for coverage. If you are uninsured and need dialysis treatment in Houston, consider applying for the Gold Card to receive help with treatment.
To learn more about the services offered at these locations see our guided title 5 Harris Health Same Day Clinics That Accept Walk In Visits.
I completely understand how frustrating it can be to navigate our healthcare system. There is paperwork, intake forms, eligibility requirements, some workers aren’t so nice, and the list goes on.
That being said the more effort you put in to educate yourself about healthcare and the medical services you are entitled to will definitely help to ease some of that frustration.
Hopefully, this question and answer guide about the Harris Health System has cleared up any questions that you may have had regarding their process. As I told you earlier if you still have questions you can leave them in the comment section below. For any questions that I am not qualified to answer, I will refer you to the Harris Health eligibility line ( 713.566.6509 ).
If you want to learn more about the Harris Health System and the medical services they offer visit the Harris Health website for more information.
