AUSTIN — Texas’ mega-agency for health care and social services, saying it wants to ease state residents’ worries during the coronavirus emergency, has extended Medicaid coverage and food stamps for recipients whose benefits are up for renewal.

On Saturday, the Health and Human Services Commission said it has received two federal departments’ blessing to automatically renew Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, for an indefinite period.

Eligibility of both programs’ current recipients in Texas is extended “until further notice,” the commission said in a news release.

Exercising authority granted in a COVID-19 response bill recently passed by Congress, the state agency also announced it’s suspending the usual requirement that renewing food stamp recipients and new applicants be interviewed.

“The call center volume is really high and the wait time is really high, and this will alleviate that,” said commission spokeswoman Christine Mann.

For new applicants, “this waiving the required interview will just help that go quicker,” Mann explained.

According to the release, Medicaid and food stamp recipients who were up for a renewal do not have to call or complete their renewal to receive continuous coverage.

“During this difficult time, we’re making sure Texans in need continue to receive their food and medical benefits without the added worry of having to renew their coverage in the midst of a crisis,” Wayne Salter, the commission’s deputy executive commissioner who oversees eligibility screening, said in a written statement.

The commission said it will continue to update the public during coming months about how long it’s automatically renewing health care and nutrition benefits.

Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor and vulnerable, covers 4.6 million Texas children, pregnant women, parents of eligible children, people with disabilities and seniors who need nursing home care.

Food stamps, while administered by the commission, is a federal program serving 1.4 million Texas households — both families and individuals. Monthly benefits are worth nearly $400 million.

Other Medicaid ‘flexibilities’ sought

In another COVID-related action on Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that Texas has sought a Section 1135 Medicaid waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Medicaid patients’ providers wouldn’t have to fill out letters of medical necessity, which normally have an expiration date, for managed care organizations to continue providing needed services. Prior authorizations would be quickened also. Providers’ and recipients’ signatures wouldn’t be required, as they usually are, on certain documents.

While Mann said the commission will make additional requests, and add them to this week’s waiver application, the two other big thrusts of Texas’ ask so far are promoting more use of telemedicine appointments for Medicaid patients and rapidly expanding the program’s provider network.

Streamlined provider enrollment and a waiver of the usual demand that health care professionals be licensed in Texas are among the state’s initial requests, Abbott said in a release.

“The flexibilities we are requesting will help ensure Texans on Medicaid continue to have their routine needs met, even as the state responds to COVID-19,” he said. “I ask [federal officials] to grant this waiver so that we can expand care capacity for Texans who utilize services through Medicaid.”