Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Republican) Presidential Decree The bill, which goes into effect Thursday, would require the state’s public hospitals to collect and report medical fees for illegal immigrants. press release A representative from Abbott’s office said the executive order is aimed at tracking the costs of the Biden-Harris administration’s open border crisis.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission would be required to “collect information on undocumented immigrants who utilize Texas state hospitals for inpatient and emergency care and report medical expenses incurred.” The commission would submit annual reports to the Governor and the Texas Legislature, which would be used to request financial compensation from the federal government.
To track this information, hospitals will ask patients about their immigration status and collect information about costs associated with their care. HHSC hospitals will be required to submit quarterly reports to the commission. HHSC will begin collecting this information on November 1.
“The sudden increase in people illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border poses a continuing and imminent threat of disaster for many Texas counties and all state agencies,” the order states. “The surge in people crossing the southern border continues, with more than 11 million people – more than the population of 40 states – having entered the country illegally in less than four years under the Biden-Harris Administration.”
The executive order requires hospitals to inform patients that their answers to questions about their immigration status will not affect the care they receive.
“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policy now means the state of Texas must cover the medical costs of people who are in our state illegally,” Governor Abbott said in a statement about the new executive order.
“Texans should not have to shoulder the financial burden of supporting the medical costs of illegal immigrants,” Abbott continued. “That’s why I issued an executive order today directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect and report the medical costs of illegal immigrants in our state. Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open borders policies and fight to ensure they reimburse Texas for their costly and dangerous policies.”
Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) Responded In opposition to the Governor’s orders.
“It’s started again,” Garcia said. “Our MAGA Republican governor can’t stop the social engineering. First he tried to get doctors and nurses to monitor women’s reproductive health care choices, then he tried to criminalize parents who help their children seek gender-affirming care, and now he’s trying to turn doctors who provide medical care to immigrants into ICE agents.”
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