Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed an executive order on Thursday that requires public hospitals in the state to collect information on the immigration status of patients. The purpose of this mandate is to track the costs incurred for the care of undocumented migrants. Previously, public hospitals in Texas did not include questions regarding immigration status in their guidance.

Under the executive order, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will be responsible for collecting this information. The intention is for the state of Texas to then bill the federal government for the healthcare costs associated with undocumented immigrants. Governor Abbott expressed concern over shouldering the financial burden of medical care for individuals who are illegally in the state.

Starting from November 1, 2024, public hospitals in Texas will be required to collect data on the costs of medical care provided to undocumented immigrants. These hospitals will report this information to the state health commission on a quarterly basis, beginning in March 2025.

Carrie Williams, spokesperson for the Texas Hospital Association, acknowledged that this executive order introduces a new requirement for hospitals. Currently, hospitals do not ask about the immigration status of patients as a condition of treatment. By law, hospitals are obligated to provide life-saving treatment to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status.

The Texas Hospital Association is reviewing the executive order and will provide further clarity once they have analyzed it in greater detail. They emphasized that they are committed to fulfilling their legal obligations of providing necessary healthcare services to all individuals.

It is important to note that the Texas Hospital Association has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization. However, financial supporters do not have any influence on the journalism produced by The Texas Tribune.

The executive order comes in response to the increasing costs incurred by Texas due to providing medical care for undocumented immigrants. Governor Abbott attributes this situation to the perceived open border policies of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The collection of immigration status information aims to address these concerns and ensure the state's financial burden is properly accounted for.

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