In January, 72,000 fewer children could be enrolled in Medicaid than in December, according to preliminary numbers from the Health and Human Services Commission.

The majority of the decline is concentrated around Houston — the part of the state most affected by Hurricane Ike three months ago, said commission spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman.

The children still have coverage through the end of the month, and the commission is examining the cause of the “significant decline,” Goodman said.

“It really is too early to tell,” she said. “We hope to know in the next day or two whether we need to take some additional action.”

For example, she said, the commission may extend children’s coverage for Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program. There are about 1.7 million Texas children enrolled in Medicaid.

The hurricane is a factor because the state had to close several enrollment offices after the storm and when they re-opened, they were “besieged” with emergency food stamp applications, Goodman said.

Advocates for low-income Texans today called on the state to take immediate action to ensure that eligible children aren’t dropped from Medicaid or from the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is projected to drop by 7,000 children.

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and a worsening economy, it’s critical that safety net programs are operating as efficiently as possible so that struggling families can get the help they need,” said Barbara Best, Texas executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Best said she has talked to a number of parents who said they attempted to renew their children’s Medicaid in September or October but were never able to get them enrolled.

“We suspect that many lost their coverage wrongfully,” Best said.