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As Collin County continues to add thousands of residents each year, demand for healthcare grows alongside it. About 143,000 residents in Collin County lack health insurance, according to an April report from Texas Health Resources.<\/p>\n
Angela Piazza\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Nearly 1.3 million people live in Collin County, one of the fastest growing counties<\/a> in the country. Yet, unlike the neighboring Dallas and Tarrant counties, it doesn\u2019t operate a public hospital or hospital district.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, residents rely on a network of private hospitals, nonprofit partnerships, indigent care programs, and in some cases, nearby public hospitals like Parkland Health in Dallas.\u00a0<\/p>\n One reader asked Curious Texas<\/a>, \u201cWhy does Collin County not have a public hospital?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we found out.<\/p>\n What is a public hospital?<\/p>\n Public hospitals are typically government-owned hospitals operated by a county, hospital district or public authority.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Texas, public hospitals often serve as a region\u2019s safety net healthcare system, providing care for uninsured and underinsured populations while also operating trauma centers and specialty programs. The biggest public hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth region are Parkland Memorial Hospital<\/a> and John Peter Smith Hospital<\/a> in Fort Worth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Private hospitals, such as Baylor Scott & White and Medical City, also treat uninsured patients, as required under federal law, but their long-term and charity care options may differ from public hospital options.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n As Collin County continues to add thousands of residents each year, demand for healthcare grows alongside it. About 143,000 residents in Collin County lack health insurance, according to an April report from Texas Health Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under current population growth estimates, Texas Health Resources expects to see 250,000 uninsured residents by 2050.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: This North Texas county led the country in population growth, Census Bureau says<\/a><\/p>\n Katherine Yoder, Parkland\u2019s vice president of government relations, said the Texas Constitution outlines the state legislature can authorize public hospital districts if approved through a local election.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Texas Constitution<\/a> also outlines how public hospitals or districts can determine taxes, bonds, governance and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Public hospitals can be funded through a variety of methods. Parkland Health, for example, is funded through a combination of Dallas County property taxes, patient revenue and government programs like Medicaid supplemental funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why doesn\u2019t Collin County have a public hospital?<\/p>\n Despite not having one now, Collin County operated a public hospital several decades ago.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the county experienced significant growth and the healthcare landscape evolved, the county hospital was purchased by a hospital system to expand healthcare services for the growing population,\u201d a statement from Collin County Public Health said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The former county-owned hospital was called Collin Memorial Hospital. In 1982, the Collin County Commissioners Court ordered the sale of the hospital, which was sold to American Medical International, according to the statement from Collin County Public Health.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The sale was completed in 1983, which was the same year Collin County voters rejected a $16 million bond election to renovate Collin Memorial Hospital, according to a 2004 article from The Dallas Morning News.<\/p>\n Since then, private hospital systems have expanded rapidly<\/a> throughout the county, opening new hospitals and facility expansions<\/a> alongside the rapid population growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Collin County is among the largest Texas counties without a public hospital or hospital district.<\/p>\n What happens when uninsured or underinsured Collin County residents need healthcare?<\/p>\n Federal law requires hospitals to screen and stabilize anyone experiencing a medical emergency, regardless of their insurance or ability to pay, through the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n However, Yoder said accessing long-term medical care for patients without insurance can be more complicated, leading many to public hospital care programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n For instance, many Collin County residents end up seeking care at Parkland.\u00a0<\/p>\n The hospital saw at least 9,019 unique patients from Collin County in fiscal year 2025, making up nearly 3% of Parkland\u2019s total patient count for the year, according to data from Parkland Health. In comparison, Parkland treated at least 282,399 patients from Dallas County.<\/p>\n Parkland Health also saw thousands of patients from Tarrant, Denton, Kaufman, Ellis and Rockwall counties, according to the Parkland data.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs the population is growing in these other counties, the needs of those counties are growing too, and we\u2019re seeing that,\u201d Yoder said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n When seeking care in Collin County, eligible residents may have access to limited healthcare through the Texas Indigent Health Care and Treatment Act<\/a>. In Collin County, residents over age 18 and who fall within 100% of the federal poverty level income may qualify for the county\u2019s indigent care program.\u00a0<\/p>\n More information about the program and eligibility can be found on the county\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n