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On Nov. 1, Texas hospitals that settle for Medicaid or Kids’s Well being Insurance coverage Plan protection began asking all sufferers about their immigration standing and whether or not they’re lawfully current in america. The requirement is a part of an government order Gov. Greg Abbott issued this summer season.
The data is statistical solely. No figuring out details about the affected person is handed alongside to the governor’s workplace.
Right here’s what you must know.
Do I’ve to reply hospitals’ questions on my citizenship or immigration standing?
No. In accordance with a number of advocacy teams, together with the American Civil Liberties Union, whereas hospitals are required to ask sufferers about their citizenship or immigration standing, they can’t power anybody to reply the query. Sufferers can both reply the query or inform the hospital that they don’t want to reply.
Will I be denied remedy if I refuse to reply?
You shouldn’t be denied well being care remedy for refusing to reply questions on your citizenship or immigration standing. Abbott’s order says hospitals ought to inform sufferers that their response to this query is not going to have an effect on their care as required by federal legislation.
Harris Well being in Houston, which incorporates Ben Taub and LBJ hospitals, stated in a press release: “Regardless of how they answer the citizenship status question, it will in no way interfere with their receiving healthcare at Harris Health emergency rooms or hospitals.”
What if a hospital worker pressures me to reply? What recourse do I’ve?
A affected person can ask to talk to the supervising nurse on obligation, the hospital’s visitor relations workers or a affected person rights advocate. If a affected person believes the hospital’s workers behaved improperly when asking for his or her citizenship or immigration standing, they’ll contact the ACLU via this consumption type.
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Why are hospitals doing this?
Hospitals are required to do that due to the governor’s order. Abbott is requiring them to do that as a result of he desires a clearer image of how a lot cash Texas hospitals spend caring for undocumented immigrants. Abbott has argued that the Biden administration’s immigration insurance policies have value states extra money and that the federal authorities ought to reimburse states for these prices
What is going to hospitals do with this data?
Abbott’s order requires hospitals to rely what number of instances they’ve requested the query of sufferers and maintain observe of the affected person solutions they obtain. They don’t seem to be sharing private details about a affected person to any state company.
At what level of the go to are they asking this query?
Hospital workers can ask about their citizenship or immigration standing at any level in the course of the consumption course of however asking the query can not impression affected person care.
Does the governor’s order apply to the pressing care clinics which can be run by hospitals?
It solely applies to hospitals, not their clinics, based on the Texas Hospital Affiliation. The Texas Tribune has not obtained any reviews of pressing care clinics asking sufferers about their citizenship or immigration standing.
Are all sufferers being requested this query?
Sure.
Will I be requested this query no matter my capability to pay for care?
Sure.
What if I don’t really feel comfy asking for extra data or discussing my rights in English?
In accordance with the ACLU, in case you have issues about your rights or care however don’t really feel comfy discussing them in English, you need to request an interpreter fluent in your native language.
Disclosure: Texas Hospital Affiliation has been a monetary supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partly by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no function within the Tribune’s journalism. Discover a full checklist of them right here.
