Texas Governor Orders Hospitals To Do What?

On Thursday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced a new executive order aimed at addressing the significant costs associated with illegal immigration. The order mandates that all hospitals and healthcare providers in Texas report the number of visits and the financial impact related to treating individuals who are in the country illegally. This order will take effect on November 1, with hospitals required to submit their reports to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission by March 1, 2025. Subsequently, reports will need to be filed on a quarterly basis.

Under this new directive, hospitals will gather data without inquiring about patients’ legal status, ensuring that medical care remains unaffected by these questions. Texas law obligates hospitals to provide emergency care regardless of a patient’s payment capacity. Governor Abbott intends to use this data to seek reimbursement from the federal government for the costs Texas has incurred due to illegal immigration.

Governor Abbott has criticized the Biden administration’s border policies, asserting that they have imposed a substantial financial burden on Texas. “The open border policies of President Biden and Vice President Harris have forced Texas to cover the medical expenses for individuals unlawfully residing in the state,” Abbott said. “It is unfair for Texans to bear these financial responsibilities.”

The Biden administration’s border policies have led to over 11 million people crossing the southern border illegally. In response, Governor Abbott has organized transportation of migrants to “sanctuary cities” such as New York City and Chicago, which are now struggling with the increased demands and costs associated with the migrant population.

While the exact financial burden on Texas hospitals is still unclear, a 2021 report from Attorney General Ken Paxton estimated that public hospital districts spend between $579 million and $717 million annually on uncompensated care for illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile, California has enacted legislation that increases its own financial obligations. Earlier this year, California became the first state to offer health insurance to illegal immigrants, a move projected to cost between $3 billion and $6 billion per year, according to federal estimates. This stands in stark contrast to Texas’s efforts to manage the costs associated with illegal immigration.