Texas hospitals required to ask patients if they are legal US residents

Nov 1

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Alex Delia (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

Texas hospitals are implementing a new policy requiring them to ask patients about their legal residency status, as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s, R, directive aimed at tracking health care costs associated with undocumented immigrants. The information gathered will reportedly help Texas calculate expenses for patient care and seek reimbursement from the federal government.

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Although patients have the option to decline answering, critics say the policy could discourage people from seeking necessary treatment.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, issued an executive order that will require hospitals to collect information on the immigration status of patients. — Getty Images

Similar policies were introduced in Florida last year under Gov. Ron DeSantis, R, where immigrant advocates report that fears around disclosing status led some to avoid medical care.

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Texas hospitals, which are not required to submit reports until March, have prepared by informing patients that any responses will not affect the level of care provided, as mandated by federal law.

The state’s reporting system will document visits from citizens, lawful residents and those not lawfully present in the U.S., without recording names or personal identifiers. Health care advocates are actively educating communities about their rights, seeking to alleviate concerns within immigrant communities who may feel hesitant to seek care.

Tags: Border, Border crossings, Border patrol, border wall, Florida, Greg Abbott, Immigrant, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ron DeSantis, Secure the Border Act, Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S.-Mexico Border

[Lauren Taylor]

TEXAS HOSPITALS ARE SET TO START ASKING PATIENTS WHETHER THEY’RE IN THE U.S. LEGALLY, AS A NEW POLICY BEGAN FRIDAY.

GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT ORDERED THE CHANGE IN AUGUST, AIMING TO TRACK COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATING UNDOCUMENTED PATIENTS SO THE STATE CAN SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THE POLICY IS SIMILAR TO ONE LAUNCHED LAST YEAR IN FLORIDA, WHERE MANY FELT IT DISCOURAGED PEOPLE FROM SEEKING MEDICAL CARE DUE TO FEARS ABOUT THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.

HOWEVER, PATIENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, AND HOSPITALS ARE REQUIRED TO ASSURE THEM THAT THEIR RESPONSE WILL NOT IMPACT THE CARE THEY RECEIVE.

WHILE HOSPITALS IN TEXAS HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS SHIFT, OFFICIAL DATA COLLECTION WON’T BEGIN UNTIL MARCH. AT THAT POINT, HOSPITALS WILL REPORT PATIENT VISITS AND COSTS, BUT WITHOUT COLLECTING ANY NAMES OR PERSONAL IDENTIFIERS.

THE TEXAS HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION IS REASSURING THE PUBLIC THAT HOSPITALS REMAIN SAFE PLACES, REGARDLESS OF A PATIENT’S LEGAL STATUS… AND THAT THIS NEW POLICY WILL NOT IMPACT ANY LEVEL OF CARE.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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