Mosquito repellent to be covered by Medicaid, again

Mosquito repellent is once again available to Texas women as a Medicaid benefit, according to an announcement yesterday from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The decision to reinstate the benefit, which had just ended Oct. 31, marks a swift response to news from Cameron County of what appears to be the first case of transmission of the Zika virus by a mosquito in Texas. The benefit, which includes two bottles of repellent per month, goes into effect today. According to the announcement, “Eligible Texas women can go to participating pharmacies to pick up mosquito repellent, as Texas Medicaid has a standing order for mosquito repellent prescriptions for women who are between the ages of 10 and 45 or pregnant.” The benefit is available to women eligible for Medicaid, CHIP and CHIP-Perinate programs, the Healthy Texas Women program and the Children With Special Health Care Needs program. There are several other items related to Zika that are covered by Texas Medicaid as well, according to the announcement: family-planning services, contraceptives, diagnostic testing, targeted case management, physical therapy, long-term services and support, acetaminophen and oral electrolytes for Zika symptoms and potential coverage for additional ultrasounds for pregnant women. Additional Texas-specific information on Zika is available here.