- On Nov. 1, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's mandate for hospitals goes into effect.
- The mandate requires hospitals to ask patients about their citizenship status. Data they collect will be used to ask for medical care reimbursement from the federal government.
- Hospitals in Corpus Christi said they'll follow the mandate, and will not turn patients away.
An executive order goes into effect Friday, Nov. 1, for hospitals in Texas. Texas hospitals are now required to ask patients about their citizenship status.
The mandate’s purpose is to help the state understand how much money is spent on medical care for undocumented immigrants.
The Texas government plans to request that money back from the federal grant. The first hospital data must be reported to Texas Health and Human Services no later than March 1, 2025. Then, continue to make quarterly reports with this information.
In a statement announcing the order, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, “Texas should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.”
Kristen Etter, the director of policy and legal services for the Texas Immigration Law Council spoke with KSBY and said despite the order, hospitals are required to provided emergency medical care to patients regardless of their immigration status. She also stated that patients are not required to answer this question.
Gov. Abbott said this mandate is due to the current administration’s open border policies.
In a press release of the governor’s office in July of 2024, it said, “Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 516,300 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 45,300 criminal arrests, with more than 39,400 felony charges.”
Corpus Christi hospitals, KRIS 6 News reached out to, said they’ll follow the new law but will not turn patients away.
A statement from CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital said:
“CHRISTUS Health will comply with the order. We are committed to our mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, and as the order states, any response to these information requests will not affect patient care.”
A statement from Driscoll Children’s Hospital said:
“Driscoll Children’s Hospital never turns a child seeking care away, and we are dedicated to maintaining compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.”
A statement from Corpus Christi Medical Center said:
"As always, Corpus Christi Medical Center is focused on providing the highest-quality patient care. As part of this commitment, we provide care to all patients who come to our facilities in accordance with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Like other hospitals across the state, Corpus Christi Medical Center will ensure compliance with any new legal or regulatory requirements."
