Low-Cost Health Care in San Antonio: University Health's CareLink, MedLink and Metro Health's $13.75 Shots

Bexar County’s public hospital system is University Health, whose formal legal name is the Bexar County Hospital District. Commissioners Court sets its property tax rate, which appears on every Bexar County tax bill [7][9]. If you’re uninsured, its CareLink program is the main way to make that care affordable: it’s open to Bexar County residents with household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines [1]. Here’s who qualifies, what to bring and where to go, plus other low-cost options in San Antonio.

This guide covers access and costs. It isn’t medical advice.

CareLink

CareLink is University Health’s financial assistance program for Bexar County families who don’t have health insurance and don’t qualify for other coverage. It isn’t insurance; it makes care at University Health more affordable [1].

Who qualifies

You may qualify if all three are true [1]:

• your household income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines;
• you live in Bexar County; and
• you don’t have, or don’t qualify for, health insurance.

What it costs

Once you’re enrolled, CareLink sets up a monthly payment plan based on your household’s total income and family size, and you’re assigned your own primary care physician at University Health [2]. You’ll owe a monthly payment if you have a balance [2].

What to bring

Enrolling and renewing both take an appointment. Bring one document from each group [2]:

1. ID for each household member, such as a driver’s license, state ID, passport, resident card, or a birth certificate for children.
2. Proof you live in Bexar County with your name and address, such as an electric or water bill, a lease, or a Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, food stamp or Attorney General letter. New members need proof covering six months; renewing members, 30 days.
3. Proof of total household income for the past 30 days, such as pay stubs, an employer wage form, a Social Security award letter, a Texas Workforce Commission benefits notice or a complete tax return.

Where and how to enroll

Schedule online with the CareLink Enrollment Application (in English or Spanish) or call CareLink Member Services at 210-358-3350 [1]. You can also email CareLink@uhtx.com [2].

If you don’t qualify for CareLink

Charity care. University Health also has a Charity Care and Financial Assistance Program for patients who can’t afford all or part of their hospital bills. Uninsured and underinsured patients, and those who don’t qualify for government programs, may get discounts based on gross household income, measured against the federal poverty guidelines [1]. Ask for the application, or find it on the CareLink page.

MedLink, for Medicare patients. MedLink helps University Health patients on Medicare with co-insurance, deductibles and capped medication co-pays [3]. To qualify you must [3]:

• live in Bexar County, with income at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines (about $47,880 for one person or $64,920 for two in 2026, our math [4]);
• be enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A, B and D) or a Medicare Advantage plan that University Health takes; and
• make monthly payments based on your ability to pay and apply for other help, such as Medicare Savings Programs.

Call 210-358-3350 to enroll [3].

Sliding-fee community health centers

Federally funded health centers must offer discounts based on income, and no one may be turned away because they can’t pay [5]. Patients at or below the poverty level get a full discount (a small nominal fee is allowed), and discounts shrink as income rises toward 200% of poverty [5]. Find centers near you with HRSA’s Find a Health Center tool, then ask each one for its fee schedule [8].

Low-cost vaccines: Metro Health

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Immunization Clinic is at 210 N. Mel Waiters Way, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed noon to 1), by appointment only: call 210-207-8790 [6]. It may close early if it’s full [6].

Which door to try first

• Uninsured, in Bexar County, at or below 250% of poverty: book a CareLink appointment [1].
• On Medicare and at or below 300% of poverty: ask about MedLink [3].
• Over those limits, or a big hospital bill: ask about University Health’s charity care [1], or a sliding-fee health center [8].
• Vaccines: Metro Health’s Immunization Clinic [6].