Advocates have expressed concerns that a recent executive order in Texas may discourage immigrants from seeking medical care.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken action by signing an executive order that directs the state to gather data on patients who are not legally residing in the United States and the expenses incurred in providing healthcare to them.
The new policy will be implemented on November 1st.
Christian Piatt serves as the spokesperson for the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, an organization that offers legal services primarily to undocumented asylum-seekers.
According to Piatt, the impact of such actions, regardless of whether they were intentional or not, will lead people to feel intimidated and reluctant to utilize essential services that we believe everyone should have access to. These individuals have come from a different country where their own government is not trustworthy, and they have experienced persecution. Therefore, they will naturally be cautious when dealing with any government.
The lack of federal funding for the migrant crisis has created a challenging situation for non-border cities.
The office of Gov. Abbott declined an interview but directed us to their statement announcing the order. According to the statement, it emphasizes that Texans should not bear the financial responsibility of supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.
The office of Abbott has stated that once the final cost is determined, the state will seek reimbursement from the federal government.
Efforts to prevent American taxpayer dollars from funding healthcare for undocumented immigrants extend beyond Texas.
In August, the Biden administration faced a lawsuit from 15 Republican attorneys general regarding a rule that enables DACA recipients to seek health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach believes that the Biden administration should not be allowed to disregard federal law without consequence.
Florida hospitals recently published their initial report on a similar tracking initiative.
According to the state’s findings, undocumented immigrants accounted for only 0.8% of hospital visits between June and December 2023. This percentage translated to less than 1% of the total operating costs, which amounted to $566 million.
Alexis Tsoukalas, a senior policy analyst at the Florida Policy Institute, brings a wealth of expertise to the table.
According to Tsoukalas, it is widely recognized that immigrants, including those who are undocumented, play a crucial role in Florida. In fact, undocumented immigrants in Florida alone contribute approximately $1.8 billion in state and local taxes. Tsoukalas emphasizes that even if individuals are unable to work due to their age or circumstances, such as being a child or an older adult, they still hold intrinsic value as human beings.
Policies like these may discourage migrants from seeking healthcare, as there is evidence suggesting a chilling effect.
According to a recent analysis by Politico, there has been a significant decrease in Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants in Florida. This decline in expenditures occurred after hospitals started inquiring about the immigration status of their patients.
According to a 2020 survey, 25% of mixed-status families refrained from participating in certain noncash government benefit programs due to concerns about the potential impact on their future green-card applications.
