Texas Hospitals Must Now Ask About Citizenship Status

The Associated Press reports:

Texas hospitals must ask patients starting Friday whether they are in the U.S. legally and track the cost of treating people without legal status following an order by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that expands the state’s clash with the Biden administration over immigration.

Critics fear the change could scare people away from hospitals. Texas hospitals have spent months preparing for the change and have sought to reassure patients that it won’t affect their level of care.

The mandate is similar to a policy that debuted last year in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is also a frequent critic of the federal government’s handling of illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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