Texas Hospitals to Ask Immigration Status Under New Directive

Patients are not required to disclose their immigration status despite a new Texas order mandating hospitals to inquire.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott's executive order requires hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status to track healthcare costs.
Patients are not obligated to answer the immigration status question, and care will not be denied based on their response.
The order applies to hospitals participating in Medicaid or CHIP, but not to free-standing emergency rooms or clinics.
Migrant advocacy groups emphasize that patients have the right to refuse to disclose their immigration status.
Critics argue the policy could deter undocumented migrants from seeking necessary medical care due to fear of being questioned.