Welcome to our latest blog post where we discuss the recent executive order issued by Texas Governor Greg Abbott regarding healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants. In an effort to address what he calls the “open border policies” of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Abbott has mandated that public hospitals in Texas collect information on undocumented immigrants receiving medical care, including the associated costs, with the aim of having the federal government cover these expenses.
Starting from November 1, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will instruct hospitals and other identified providers to gather data on the costs of medical care for undocumented immigrants. This information will be reported to the HHSC on a quarterly basis, with the first reports due on March 1, 2025. Patients will be informed that their responses to these questions will not impact their care.
By January 1, 2026, the HHSC will report annually to the governor, lieutenant governor, and Speaker of the House on the previous year’s costs related to healthcare for undocumented immigrants. This order applies to hospitals enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, as well as any others identified by the HHSC.
We have reached out to local hospitals to see if they will comply with this order and have contacted the governor’s office and the Texas Health and Human Services for their insights on the matter. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
If you have any thoughts or opinions on this topic, feel free to share them with us in the comments section below. We value your input and look forward to engaging in a meaningful discussion with our readers.