Texas requires hospitals to collect, report health care costs for illegal aliens
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order on Thursday that will require the state’s public hospitals to collect and report health care expenses for illegal immigrants. A press release from Abbott’s office stated that the executive action aims to track the costs of the Biden-Harris administration open-border crisis.The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will be required to “collect information on illegal immigrants who use Texas public hospitals for inpatient and emergency care and to report incurred healthcare cost.” HHSC will provide annual reporting to the governor and the Texas legislature, which will be used to request financial reimbursement from the federal government.To track such information, hospitals will ask patients about their immigration status and collect information regarding the costs associated with their care. Hospitals under HHSC will be required to submit quarterly reports to the commission. HHSC will begin collecting this information starting no later than November 1.“The surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border posed an ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for a number of Texas counties and for all state agencies by this disaster,” the executive order read. “The surge of individuals crossing the southern border has continued, resulting in more than 11 million people—a number larger than the population of 40 different States—entering this country illegally in less than four years under the Biden-Harris Administration.”The executive order requests hospitals to inform patients that their responses to immigration status questions will not impact the care they receive.Abbott released a statement regarding the new executive order, saying, “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,” Abbott continued. “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.”U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) responded in opposition to the governor’s order.“Here we go again,” Garcia stated. “Our MAGA Republican Governor just can’t stop social engineering. First, he wants doctors and nurses to police women’s choices for reproductive care, then he wants to make criminals out of parents who support their child in seeking gender-affirming care, and now he wants to make ICE officers out of doctors providing immigrants with medical care.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order on Thursday that will require the state’s public hospitals to collect and report health care expenses for illegal immigrants. A press release from Abbott’s office stated that the executive action aims to track the costs of the Biden-Harris administration open-border crisis.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will be required to “collect information on illegal immigrants who use Texas public hospitals for inpatient and emergency care and to report incurred healthcare cost.” HHSC will provide annual reporting to the governor and the Texas legislature, which will be used to request financial reimbursement from the federal government.
To track such information, hospitals will ask patients about their immigration status and collect information regarding the costs associated with their care. Hospitals under HHSC will be required to submit quarterly reports to the commission. HHSC will begin collecting this information starting no later than November 1.
“The surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border posed an ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for a number of Texas counties and for all state agencies by this disaster,” the executive order read. “The surge of individuals crossing the southern border has continued, resulting in more than 11 million people—a number larger than the population of 40 different States—entering this country illegally in less than four years under the Biden-Harris Administration.”
The executive order requests hospitals to inform patients that their responses to immigration status questions will not impact the care they receive.
Abbott released a statement regarding the new executive order, saying, “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,” Abbott continued. “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.”
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) responded in opposition to the governor’s order.
“Here we go again,” Garcia stated. “Our MAGA Republican Governor just can’t stop social engineering. First, he wants doctors and nurses to police women’s choices for reproductive care, then he wants to make criminals out of parents who support their child in seeking gender-affirming care, and now he wants to make ICE officers out of doctors providing immigrants with medical care.”
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Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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