As we wait to see who our next U.S. President will be, Governor Greg Abbott has ordered that Texas hospitals, as of Friday, November 1, 2024, must ask patients whether they are U.S. citizens and if they are in the U.S. legally.    

Patients do not have to answer the questions and hospital workers must tell them that their answers will not affect their patient care.  Hospitals will need to keep track of the cost to care for the patients who are not lawfully present in the U.S. and provide that information beginning in March 2025 to the state of Texas.  An early draft of the spreadsheet to be completed by hospitals and provided to the state did not include fields to share patient names or personal information.  

Critics are worried that these questions will lead to some patients not seeking needed medical assistance. Nevertheless, patients should understand that they are not required to answer the questions in order to receive medical care.   

 Foster LLP will continue to provide immigration insights and provide updates about any developments via Immigration Updates©, social media posts, and blogs on our website at www.fosterglobal.com.