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From KHOU.com: Texas hospitals must ask patients starting Friday whether they are in the U.S. legally and track the cost of treating people without legal status following an order by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that expands the state’s clash with the Biden administration over immigration.
Critics fear the change could scare people away from hospitals in Texas, even though patients are not required to answer the questions to receive medical care. The mandate is similar to a policy that debuted last year in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is also a frequent critic of the federal government’s handling of illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The governor claimed the order is intended to allow the state to review the costs connected with providing medical services to undocumented immigrants.
Texas hospitals have spent months preparing for the change and have sought to reassure patients that it won’t affect their level of care.
Abbott says he wants to know how much money taxpayers are forking over to provide healthcare for non-citizens. The executive order does not mean care will be withheld, but only that the costs will be tracked.
According to Abbott’s executive order, which he signed in August, the hospitals must start collecting the data on November 1, and must report the results to the state on a quarterly basis, beginning with March 1, 2025.
The executive order requires hospitals to ask patients if they are U.S. citizens and if they are lawfully present in the county, but patients can’t be forced to answer the question.
At the time he signed the order, Abbott said, “Due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies, Texas has had to foot the bill for medical costs for individuals illegally in the state. Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants. That is why today I issued an Executive Order requiring the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect and report healthcare costs for illegal immigrants in our state. Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies.”
Democrats have slammed Abbott over the new law.
Starting today, Texas hospitals must ask patients about their immigration status. This comes after an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott. Here’s how it works. @UgochiKHOU https://t.co/FyeD3ZQO4O
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) November 1, 2024
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