Yes, you can receive preventive care if you are uninsured or under-insured. Health Confianza recommends the following:

Adults and Children

• Carelink, a University Health financial assistance program that allows you to access quality healthcare services. View our FAQ on CareLink for how to qualify.
• Local clinics and community health centers, some offer sliding scale payment for primary healthcare services. View our local clinics list.

Children and Youth (before 19th birthday) 

• Medicaid or CHIP
• Many cities have school-based clinics which do not ask immigration status and are low-cost or free.

For more information on getting insured, view our FAQ on insurance options.

CareLink is a financial assistance program through the University Health System that allows you to access quality healthcare services. CareLink gives access to many health services, but it does not cover all. For example, it does not cover transplants, dialysis, and other costly procedures.

To see if you qualify, call 210-358-3350 or apply at CareLink.

You have the right to receive preventive care. Some clinics and resources do not require documentation or insurance. In Bexar County, you do not need to tell the health provider your immigration status to receive care. While healthcare providers may inquire about your status when applying for insurance, you do not have to tell them your immigration status.

It is a good idea to carry a photo I.D. with you to medical appointments. The San Antonio Public Library offers an Enhanced Library Card, which serves as a document with your name, address, and picture. This card, along with other documents, can help establish your identity. Learn more about the Enhanced Library Card at https://guides.mysapl.org/enhancedlibrarycard/FAQ.

Remember, your immigration status should not stop you from accessing the preventive care needed to maintain your health and well-being.

Texas is home to programs that pay for preventative care and contraceptive services for women’s healthcare. One such program is the Healthy Texas Women’s Program, which provides women’s health and family planning services. In Bexar County, these services can also be accessed at University Health clinics, CommuniCare and other community health centers.

View our list of local clinics for more options.

The Alamo Area Resource Center (AARC) and UT Health San Antonio’s student-run Pride Community Clinic, located within the ARRC, offer LGBTQ care and services.

AARC’s services include HIV-STI Testing, PREP/PEP, HIV Specialty Care, LGBTQ Primary Care and Transgender Health.

View our list of local clinics for more options.

A vaccination is a way to keep you safe and prevent you from getting sick. Vaccines strengthen your immune system and help your body be more prepared to fight bacteria or viruses. Vaccines are also called immunizations. They can be administered through injections, but some are given by mouth or sprayed into the nose. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration approves all vaccines before public release to make sure they are safe and work well.

For immunizations, local health departments, such as the MetroHealth Immunization Clinics, are an excellent low-cost resource and do not require documentation of immigration status.

If your child is on Medicaid or CHIP, your child will be covered for immunizations. Both adults and children can receive basic immunizations at retail pharmacies and community health fairs.

The vaccines you need might differ depending on age, health status, where you live, and the kind of job you have. Common vaccines that most people get to stay healthy are measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis, the flu, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, and shingles.

View the immunization calendar for Adults, Children

The COVID-19 vaccine is a preventive way to protect you against the COVID virus. Multiple types of COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide. These vaccines help fight off the virus without making you sick. COVID boosters are additional doses of medicine that you get after the first vaccination series. In the case of COVID-19, booster vaccines help your body stay protected for a longer period of time.

The influenza vaccine, also called the flu vaccine, is recommended for most individuals. The flu vaccine is especially important for certain groups of people who could have increased health risks if they get the flu. These groups include people 65 years old or older, young children, pregnant women, people with long-term health problems, healthcare workers, or people who spend time with those who are more likely to get sick.

Mpox, or monkeypox, is a viral infection that does not cause serious illness. Early symptoms of mpox include rashes, bumps, or blisters on or around the genitals, hands, feet, chest, or face. It may also cause flu-like symptoms such as feeling tired, fevers, headaches, and chills.

Mpox is a communicable disease, which means it can spread to others. It can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed. In the current Mpox outbreak, the virus is spreading through sexual contact; however, infections have occurred through other exposures, including non-sexual contact with infected areas. Getting vaccinated for Mpox can help make symptoms less severe and easier to manage. If you experience Mpox symptoms, it’s important to get tested, even if you’ve been vaccinated.

Find an Mpox vaccine site near you.

The City of San Antonio and The University of Texas Health Science Center offer Quitxt, a free bilingual text-message or Facebook messenger service to support you on your journey to quit tobacco products. For more information about tobacco cessation programs, call UT Health San Antonio’s primary care practice at 210-450-9100.

If you can’t find what you need on this page, there are additional online tools that offer local health and social services resources. We recommend the San Antonio Community Resource Directory and the University Health’s Find Help tool.

You can also contact us at Confianza@uthscsa.edu.

If you still don’t understand what the health provider said, don’t be afraid to say you don’t understand. Ask the health provider to explain it again in a simple way.

You can also try help lines such as University Health’s 24-hour NurseLink, which gives you access to nurses that can help answer your questions or concerns.

Reading a prescription correctly is important for taking medication safely and preventing serious illness. It is also important for parents and caregivers who are giving medications to loved ones.

Always follow the instructions on the prescription carefully and never take medication without a prescription or the advice of a healthcare professional.

View our “How to Read a Prescription Label” flyer.

Every patient, regardless of legal status, has rights. These rights include the right to care and the right to consent to or refuse medical care. View the State of Texas’s Patient Rights and Responsibilities Resource Page.

You have the right to ask for a translator if a health provider doesn’t speak your language. Language barriers should not stop you from asking questions or expressing your concerns.

For medical appointment transportation in the San Antonio area, you can contact VIA. See VIA’s reduced fare and passes for riders who qualify.

An eye care professional, called an optometrist or ophthalmologist, performs eye exams. They check your vision and make sure your eyes are healthy. They will also be able to address any concerns and recommend treatments, if needed.

How does it help? Eye care is important for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Diabetics are at a higher risk of glaucoma, blindness, cataracts, and other eye disorders. By going to the eye doctor and following their advice, you can keep your eyes healthy.

A hearing test should take about 30 minutes, and it’s painless. Most adults who get hearing tests are asked to wear earphones and listen to short tones that are played at different volumes and pitches into one ear at a time.  Experts recommend that adults get their hearing tested every 10 years until age 50, and then every 3 years after that.

What will it tell you? The results can show whether you have hearing loss in one or both ears and how much hearing is gone.

How does it help you? You can’t restore hearing loss but there are ways to make up for it, such as hearing aids, and protect the hearing that you still have.

Both Sam’s Club and Costco offer free hearing test for their adult members. The city of San Antonio offers a list of adult and pediatric hearing test providers.