Collin County Health Care Services: Which of Its 6 Programs Actually Fits You?

Collin County looks wealthy from the outside. There's a new commercial airport, Fortune 500 offices, and two professional sports franchises. But if you're one of the roughly 11% of working-age residents without health insurance here, none of that helps when you're sick and can't afford a doctor's visit. There's no county hospital to fall back on either. Collin Memorial Hospital closed back in 1982, and it was never replaced.

Collin County Health Care Services, known locally as CCHCS, fills part of that gap. It's the county's public health department, and it runs a surprising number of separate programs: vaccines, WIC, tuberculosis care, STD/HIV testing, disease reporting, and the Indigent Health Care Program.

Each one has its own eligibility rules, its own paperwork, and sometimes its own suite number in the same building. Below, you’ll find details on each program, who qualifies, what to bring, and a common mistake that can lead first-time visitors to the wrong agency.

Quick Answer

Question Answer
What does CCHCS actually run? Immunizations, WIC, TB services, STD/HIV testing, disease reporting, medical records, and the Indigent Health Care Program.
Who qualifies for Indigent Health Care? Collin County residents 18+ at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level with no other health coverage.
Is every CCHCS service free? No. Some, like TB care, are free. Others use sliding-scale or flat fees depending on the program.
Where is the main office? 825 N. McDonald St., McKinney, TX 75069 — main line (972) 548-5500.

What Collin County Health Care Services Actually Does

Think of CCHCS less as a hospital and more as a coordination hub. It doesn't operate like a normal doctor's office with one general waiting room. Instead, it runs several distinct public health programs, each with its own staff, its own intake process, and often its own suite inside the county's McKinney building.

That structure explains why the department describes its mission around "preventive public health services" rather than general medical treatment. CCHCS also funds outside nonprofit clinics that fill gaps the county programs don't cover directly, things like children's vision screenings, senior medical assistance, and prescription help.

Program What It Covers Typical Cost
Indigent Health Care Medical care for qualifying adults at or below 100% FPL Determined at eligibility screening
NextCare Program Primary and urgent care, county-funded co-pay assistance $20 co-pay per visit
Immunizations Clinic Vaccines for eligible children and adults Up to $13/shot (children, VFC) or up to $25/vaccine (adults, ASN)
WIC Nutrition education, food benefits, breastfeeding support No cost to eligible participants
TB Clinic Testing, evaluation, treatment, and follow-up No cost for TB cases, suspect cases, and contacts
STD/HIV Clinic Screening, counseling, treatment for qualified residents $30 base office visit for eligible uninsured/underinsured residents
💡 EasySmart Tip for Collin County Residents: Don't treat CCHCS like a regular primary-care office where you just walk into one lobby. Figure out which program fits your actual need first — a vaccine, a WIC appointment, an indigent care application — because the eligibility rules, required documents, and even the building suite can differ by program.

Getting a Vaccine Through CCHCS

Vaccines are probably the most visible service CCHCS offers. Both children and adults can get regularly scheduled immunizations following CDC recommendations, but appointments are required, and the rules split sharply by age group.

Every adult getting vaccinated, or requesting a vaccine for a child, needs to bring an original, current, government-issued photo ID. That part is non-negotiable. For children up to age 18, the clinic needs a complete paper immunization record. A school note by itself won't cut it, and any record written in another language needs an English translation before the visit.

Vaccine Costs Depend on Age and Insurance Status

Children may qualify through the Texas Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which uses a sliding fee scale based on household eligibility, up to $13 per shot. Adults are a different story. Uninsured adults age 19 and older may qualify for the state's Adult Safety Net (ASN) program, where the administration fee runs up to $25 per vaccine. 

If you already have Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance, you generally won't qualify for ASN pricing, since it's built specifically for uninsured adults.

📌 A detail parents often miss: Bring the actual shot record, not a summary from the pediatrician's patient portal or a school immunization form. Clinic staff need the full paper record, and if it's not in English, get it translated before your appointment. Showing up without it usually means rescheduling.

Requesting an Immunization Record

If you need an old shot record for school, a job, immigration paperwork, or a new doctor, CCHCS can pull it. You can request records online or, for same-day pickup, visit the clinic directly. Photo ID is required for the person the record belongs to, or for their legal guardian if requesting on a child's behalf. 

Certain requests may take longer to process, so it's worth asking for a specific timeline when you submit the request, especially if you're working against a school or job deadline.

Collin County WIC: Who Qualifies and What to Bring

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is one of CCHCS's larger programs, and it's easy to misjudge whether you'll qualify. The program provides nutrition education, food benefits, and breastfeeding support to pregnant women, women who had a baby in the past six months, women breastfeeding a baby under one, and parents or guardians of children under five.

Texas residency is required. Collin County uses the standard national WIC income threshold: household income at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level.

💡 EasySmart Tip for Collin County Families: Don't rule yourself out over the income math before you even apply. If your household already receives Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF, you qualify for WIC automatically, regardless of your exact income number. That categorical eligibility path trips up a lot of parents who assume they have to run the calculation themselves first.

Bring identification, proof of Texas residency, and either proof of participation in Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF, or income documentation like recent pay stubs, a current tax return, or an employer letter. 

Forms exist for less common situations too, like self-employment income or support from someone outside the household. Ask the WIC office which form applies before your appointment if your income situation isn't straightforward.

Quick self-check: A family of three at 185% FPL can earn up to roughly $50,542 a year and still qualify (185% of the $27,320 Indigent Health limit shown further down). If your household is close to that line, bring your two most recent pay stubs to the appointment rather than estimating — WIC staff calculate gross income, not take-home pay, and that distinction is where a lot of applicants miscalculate.

The Indigent Health Care Program: Collin County's Strictest Income Line

Of everything CCHCS runs, the Indigent Health Care Program has the tightest eligibility. Unlike WIC's 185% FPL threshold, this program caps eligibility at 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. Here's what that looks like for 2026, per the current HHS guidelines.

Household Size Annual Income at 100% FPL (2026)
1 $15,960
2 $21,640
3 $27,320
4 $33,000
5 $38,680
6 $44,360
7 $50,040
8 $55,720

For households larger than 8, add roughly $5,680 per additional person. These figures update every year, so treat this as a 2026 snapshot and confirm current numbers before applying.

Income isn't the only requirement. You also need to be 18 or older, live in Collin County, have no other equivalent public or private health coverage, and meet resource standards that roughly mirror the state's TANF limits.

Run the Numbers Yourself Before You Apply

Here's a quick self-check using the table above. Say you're a household of three — two adults and one child — with combined gross income of $2,100 a month. Multiply by 12 and you get $25,200 a year, which falls under the $27,320 limit for a household of three. That household qualifies on income alone. 

If your monthly number lands within a few hundred dollars of the cutoff, run the math against your actual last two pay stubs instead of a rough guess. That narrow margin is exactly where applicants misjudge their own eligibility.

Documents That Cause First-Try Rejections

The county rarely rejects applications over income. It rejects them over missing or mismatched paperwork. Confirm you have every item below before you submit, since one gap resets the 14-business-day clock:

  • Identification for every household member applying, not just the primary applicant
  • Proof of marital status — a common gap for recently married or separated applicants
  • Resource documentation — vehicle title, property tax statements, savings or CD statements, dated within the required window
  • Proof of income, or documented lack of income — pay stubs, a SNAP printout, self-employment records, or a signed statement from whoever supports you financially
  • Proof of Collin County residency — a lease or utility bill in the applicant's own name, not a family member's
  • Proof of registration with the Texas Workforce Commission, unless you qualify for an exemption
⚠️ Important Note: Sponsored immigrants need additional paperwork — a copy of the I-864 affidavit of support, the sponsor's name and address, and the sponsor's income information. Collin County treats this benefit as means-tested and reserves the right to seek reimbursement from a sponsor who signed an affidavit of support on the applicant's behalf. Read this section carefully if it applies to your household, and consider talking to an immigration attorney first.

Once your file is complete, expect a decision within 14 business days. You can apply online through Collin County's Indigent Healthcare Program application, or mail or hand-deliver a paper application to the McKinney office instead.

Here's Where the Confusion Usually Starts: Indigent Health vs. NextCare

Both programs share the same 100% FPL income cutoff, and that's exactly why people apply to the wrong one. They aren't interchangeable. The Indigent Health Care Program is broader and more traditional — it's meant to help pay for medically necessary care on a short-term basis, and it runs through the 14-business-day review process described above.

NextCare is different. It's a direct partnership with NextCare Medical Centers for urgent and primary care visits. If you're approved, you pay a flat $20 co-pay and the county covers the rest. There's no wait list. The application happens right at the clinic when you show up with valid ID.

So which one fits your situation? If you need care today — a sinus infection, a sprained ankle, a symptom check — NextCare is faster. If you're managing something ongoing, or need broader medical coordination, apply for the Indigent Health Care Program even though it takes longer to process.

Tuberculosis Services: Free, Regardless of Insurance

The CCHCS Tuberculosis Clinic handles evaluation, treatment, and follow-up for anyone with active or latent TB infection, anyone suspected of having active TB, and anyone exposed to a confirmed or suspected case. 

The county's own clinic fee schedule confirms this service comes at no cost for TB cases, suspect cases, and their contacts. Health care providers can refer patients directly, and the clinic also coordinates with schools, hospitals, and businesses on TB-related public health matters.

STD and HIV Screening and Treatment

CCHCS runs an STD/HIV Clinic offering diagnostic testing, clinical consultations, screenings, referrals, and counseling for qualified Collin County residents. The base price for an office visit is $30 for eligible uninsured or underinsured residents. 

HPV and Hepatitis A/B vaccines are also available through the Immunizations Clinic for an additional fee. These services are meant to prevent and control disease spread, not to replace ongoing primary care, so plan on pairing a positive result with follow-up care elsewhere if needed.

Requesting Medical Records

If you need a copy of your CCHCS medical or immunization history, the county provides an online request form. Photo ID is required for the person the record belongs to, or for a legal guardian if applicable. Situations involving a legal name change, guardianship, or adoption may require extra documentation before the request can be processed. 

Fees, when they apply, follow the county's published clinic fee schedule. If you're working against a deadline for a school enrollment or new job, submit your request well ahead of time rather than the week it's due.

One Building, Several Suites — Call Ahead

CCHCS's main McKinney location sits at 825 N. McDonald Street, but different programs operate out of different suites within that same complex. 

Indigent Health, for example, has historically used a different suite than Immunizations or Epidemiology. Because clinic hours and suite assignments can shift, and because appointments are required for nearly every service, calling ahead before you drive over saves you a wasted trip.

Collin County Health Care Services — Main Office
825 N. McDonald Street, McKinney, TX 75069
Main Phone: (972) 548-5500
Indigent Health: (972) 548-4702
Immunizations Clinic: (972) 548-4744
Epidemiology / Disease Reporting: (972) 548-4707

CCHCS vs. a Regular Doctor's Office

It's tempting to think of a county health department as just another doctor's office. That assumption causes more confused trips than almost anything else on this list. A private primary-care provider is the right place for routine checkups, prescriptions, and ongoing management of chronic conditions. 

CCHCS leans heavily into public health instead — prevention, eligibility-based programs, communicable disease control, and vaccination access.

If you need a regular family doctor, CCHCS probably isn't your starting point. If you need a vaccine record, TB evaluation, WIC support, or income-based assistance, it's exactly the right one.

A Realistic Example

A single McKinney resident working two part-time retail jobs, bringing home about $14,500 a year. Neither job offers insurance, and a recent urgent care visit left a bill they can't pay. They assume Medicaid must be the answer since their income sits well under the poverty line. 

It isn't — without a disability, pregnancy, or dependent child, Texas Medicaid doesn't apply to a single working adult, since the state never expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. 

Instead, they qualify for the county's Indigent Health Care Program based on income alone. They gather pay stubs from both jobs, a lease proving Collin County residency, and their TWC registration, then apply online. Fourteen business days later, they're approved for coordinated ongoing care.

Why the Need Keeps Growing

Recent reporting has put numbers behind what local clinics have seen for years. About 11% of Collin County's roughly 1.3 million residents under 65 lack health insurance, and more than 70,000 people — about 5.7% of the county's population — live below the poverty line. 

The county budgeted roughly $6.8 million for indigent care in fiscal year 2026, with a stated goal of assisting 267 total patients. Fiscal year 2027 budget proposals recommend increasing that funding slightly, to about $6.9 million. 

To put the scale of that gap in perspective, CommonGood Medical's founder has pointed out that Collin County's program helps the same number of people in a full year that Dallas County's indigent care program helps in about two hours.

If Your Income Is Just Above the Indigent Health Line

Nonprofit partner clinics have absorbed a meaningful share of that gap. CommonGood Medical in McKinney treated over a thousand uninsured patients in 2025 and opened a new clinic in East McKinney in 2026. Serving patients at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, double the ceiling used by the county's own Indigent Health Care Program. 

But these organizations aren't interchangeable, and picking blind wastes a phone call. Here's how they actually differ in practice:

Organization What Makes It Different Best For
CommonGood Medical Higher 200% FPL income ceiling — twice the county's own program. Now has two Collin County locations, including a newer East McKinney site. Households that earn too much for the county's Indigent Health Care Program but still can't afford insurance
Health Services of North Texas Specializes in infectious disease and HIV/AIDS care alongside primary care, plus medication assistance, housing referrals, and transportation support Residents managing HIV/AIDS or another infectious disease who also need wraparound support services
Community Health Clinic (Catholic Charities of Dallas) Focused specifically on primary care for eligible uninsured residents, located centrally in McKinney Straightforward primary care needs without a specialty component
Carevide Adds translation services and enrollment assistance on top of medical care and medications — useful if language or paperwork is the real barrier, not just cost Non-English speakers or households in eastern Collin County near Farmersville who also need help navigating enrollment paperwork
📌 Good to Know: If your income sits above 100% FPL but you're still uninsured, don't assume you're out of luck. Call whichever clinic above best matches your actual barrier — income ceiling, a specific condition, language, or paperwork — since eligibility rules and sliding-scale fees vary clinic to clinic and aren't published in one central place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Collin County Health Care Services free?

A: Not every service is free. TB care carries no charge for TB cases, suspect cases, and their contacts. Other programs, like immunizations and the STD/HIV Clinic, use sliding-scale or flat fees, while WIC is free to eligible participants.

Q: Does CCHCS provide vaccines for adults?

A: Yes. Uninsured adults 19 and older may qualify for the Adult Safety Net program, with fees up to $25 per vaccine. Bring a valid, current, government-issued photo ID to the appointment.

Q: Can children get vaccines through CCHCS?

A: Yes, through the Texas Vaccines for Children program, with a sliding fee scale up to $13 per shot based on eligibility. A complete paper shot record is required for children up to age 18.

Q: What income limit does Collin County use for WIC?

A: 185% of the Federal Poverty Level, or automatic eligibility if your household already receives Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF.

Q: How is the Indigent Health Care Program different from NextCare?

A: Both use the same 100% FPL income cutoff, but Indigent Health Care is a broader, longer-processing application (up to 14 business days) for ongoing care, while NextCare is a same-day $20 co-pay option for urgent or primary care visits.

Q: Do I need an appointment for CCHCS services?

A: Yes, in almost every case. Clinic hours and availability can change based on public health needs, so calling ahead before visiting is strongly recommended.

Q: What if my income is above 100% FPL but I still can't afford insurance?

A: You won't qualify for the county's own Indigent Health Care Program, but nonprofit partner clinics like CommonGood Medical serve households up to 200% FPL, so it's worth calling them directly.

Q: Can I be enrolled in more than one CCHCS program at once, or does one disqualify me from another?

A: Enrolling in one program doesn't disqualify you from another. WIC, Indigent Health Care, NextCare, and vaccine programs are administered separately, each with its own income test, so being approved for one doesn't automatically qualify or block you from the others — you'll need to apply to each on its own terms. 

The one place this gets tricky is insurance status: if you already have Medicaid, CHIP, or private coverage through any household member, that can affect your eligibility for Adult Safety Net vaccines or the Indigent Health Care Program specifically, even if your income would otherwise qualify.

Q: My child has Medicaid, but I don't. Can I still get a vaccine through Adult Safety Net?

A: Yes. Adult Safety Net eligibility is based on your own insurance status, not your household's. If you're an uninsured adult 19 or older, your child's Medicaid coverage doesn't affect your own eligibility for the program.

Final Thoughts

CCHCS covers a lot more ground than a single vaccination office. Between immunizations, WIC, TB care, STD/HIV services, medical records, and the Indigent Health Care Program, there's likely a door here that fits your situation. 

The part that saves the most time is figuring out which program matches your need and your income before you make the trip. A five-minute phone call up front beats an afternoon spent in the wrong waiting room.

Key Takeaways

  •  CCHCS is a public health department, not a hospital — Collin County has had no county hospital since 1982.
  •  The Indigent Health Care Program caps eligibility at 100% FPL, stricter than WIC's 185% FPL threshold.
  •  NextCare offers same-day care with a $20 co-pay; Indigent Health Care takes up to 14 business days but covers broader ongoing needs.
  •  Vaccine fees differ sharply by age: up to $13/shot for eligible children, up to $25/vaccine for uninsured adults through Adult Safety Net.
  •  TB services are free for TB cases, suspect cases, and their contacts, regardless of insurance status.
  •  Being under the poverty line doesn't automatically mean Medicaid eligibility in Texas — the state never expanded Medicaid under the ACA.
  •  Households above 100% FPL should check nonprofit partner clinics like CommonGood Medical, which accept up to 200% FPL.

Editorial Note

EasySmartHub is an independent informational resource. We are not affiliated with Collin County, Collin County Health Care Services, NextCare Medical Centers, CommonGood Medical, or any government agency or nonprofit organization mentioned above. Income limits, program rules, fees, and application procedures can change, so always confirm current information directly with Collin County Health Care Services before applying.

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