Texas Hospitals Now Required to Ask About Patient Citizenship

Texas hospitals are now required to ask patients if they are U.S. citizens as of Friday.

The move follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s August executive order.

The first batch of data must be submitted to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission no later than March 1, 2025 and continue to be provided quarterly.

“Increased costs for Texas hospitals providing care to individuals who are not legally present in the United States impose a burden on the Texas health care system, including by predictably increasing health care costs for all Texans,” the order states.

The order came at a time when the number of illegal border crossings was high.

Texas leads the nation in the number of uninsured residents, and the majority of them are citizens.

The Texas Hospital Association says one in six Texans lack health insurance.

Texas hospitals provided $3 billion in uninsured care that was not reimbursed.

DFW Hospital Board officials said the order does not mean hospitals will refuse to treat noncitizens.

Border crossings in Texas have dropped significantly since this summer. Primarily due to Abbott’s Operation Lone Star and President Biden’s executive order.

“Texas will hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to make sure they pay Texas for their costly and dangerous policies,” Abbott said in August.