Gov. Greg Abbott is at it again with another anti-immigrant stunt. This time he is endangering the health and well-being of immigrants in need of acute medical care. On Aug. 8, Abbott issued an executive order in which he has directed Texas hospitals to begin collecting data on the cost of medical care for undocumented immigrants. By Nov. 1, 2024, state hospitals will need to ascertain the citizen status of patients. This places hospital administrators with the responsibility of gathering the immigrant status of their patients, which will be an overwhelming bureaucratic nightmare. Hospitals are already overburdened with massive paperwork involving patient medical histories, financial status, and insurance coverage and claims, including Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Now hospitals will have to conduct inquiries that legally fall under the purview of the federal government and not the hospital industry. Hospitals are required, and rightfully so, to provide emergency treatment for all patients, regardless of citizen status.
As usual, Abbott is basing his action on the false narrative that the Biden administration is fomenting state costs because of a “reckless open borders” policy, a total lie and meme of the Far Right. The U.S. does not have open borders, given the latest figures from federal authorities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Texas apprehended 30,771 migrants between ports of entry in June, down from 45,139 in May. Border Patrol agents apprehended 83,536 migrants in June across the southern border, down from 117,901 in May. Does that sound like an open border to you?
Abbott’s order will lead more immigrants to defer medical treatment for fear of deportation, leading to many deaths of individuals who did not receive proper and timely treatment for their illness or injury. Immigrants already avoid medical treatment because of this fear and because of their economic situation. Abbott’s cruel order and grandstanding will only exacerbate the situation. Like his other policies and immigration orders, people are going to die. Abbott’s executive order is illegal and will be challenged in court. We need to voice our strong opposition to his latest heartless stunt.
Ray Chávez, Buda Resident
Letter to the Editor
Gov. Greg Abbott is at it again with another anti-immigrant stunt. This time he is endangering the health and well-being of immigrants in need of acute medical care. On Aug. 8, Abbott issued an executive order in which he has directed Texas hospitals to begin collecting data on the cost of medical care for undocumented immigrants. By Nov. 1, 2024, state hospitals will need to ascertain the citizen status of patients. This places hospital administrators with the responsibility of gathering the immigrant status of their patients, which will be an overwhelming bureaucratic nightmare. Hospitals are already overburdened with massive paperwork involving patient medical histories, financial status, and insurance coverage and claims, including Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Now hospitals will have to conduct inquiries that legally fall under the purview of the federal government and not the hospital industry. Hospitals are required, and rightfully so, to provide emergency treatment for all patients, regardless of citizen status.
- 08/21/2024 05:00 PM
