Starting this Friday, public hospitals in Texas will ask patients to report their immigration status. The measure, promoted by Governor Greg Abbott, seeks to evaluate the cost of care for undocumented migrants in order to submit a bill to the federal government and obtain reimbursement for these expenses.
Abbott defends the economic burden on Texas
Governor Abbott justified the order by pointing out that Texas taxpayers should not have to bear the costs of health care for people with irregular immigration status. With this change, the state expects to receive federal resources to cover a portion of the services provided in public hospitals.
Medical services will not be affected
The Texas Hospital Association clarified that this rule will not affect access to medical care for migrants, who, according to federal law, must receive emergency services regardless of their immigration status. In addition, it was reported that answering the question about their immigration status will be voluntary and will not influence the quality of the treatment they receive.
Texas joins Florida, where data is already collected on migrant patients and a recent study found that less than 1% of emergency room visits corresponded to people without documentation.
With information from EFE.
