Texas hospitals to begin asking patients about citizen status
Beginning Nov. 1, hospitals in Texas will be required to ask patients about their citizenship status—and their answers are going to be recorded as part of an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbot.
In a report from the Texas Tribune, hospitals declined to comment on how they will proceed, as any reporting requirement could be a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). However, the outlet did reference the Texas Hospital Association, which said care for patients will not be interrupted regardless of their country of citizenship.
“Hospitals across the state are working to determine how to comply with the reporting guidance and meet the state’s deadlines,” Carrie Williams, a spokesperson for the association, is quoted as saying, adding that the “bottom line for patients is that this doesn’t change hospital care.”
The order, which Abbot signed this summer, does not require patients to answer the question. In his statement, the governor said Texas is shouldering too much of the financial burden required to provide undocumented immigrants with care, blaming federal “open border policies.”
Journalists note, however, that Texas has the largest number of uninsured citizens of any state.
Overall, about 18% of the state’s 30 million people are uninsured—and most of them are here legally. Some 18% of the population of the state has no insurance and does not qualify for Medicaid, and undocumented immigrants seek healthcare treatment less often than U.S. citizens, data from KFF shows.
Citing Pew Research, the number of people in Texas who are undocumented was around 1.6 million in 2021. Of them, the group says 680,000 are uninsured.
For the full report, read the Texas Tribune article below.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.