Texas hospitals incurred $121.8 million in health care costs in November from patients who were not “lawfully” permitted to be in the country, according to data released by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Friday.
Hospitals throughout Texas reported to the state health agency the cost of more than 30,000 hospital visits by undocumented immigrants after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas hospitals to ask all patients starting Nov. 1 to disclose whether they were “lawfully in the United States.” Abbott stated in the order that the purpose of the report was to hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable for its open border policy and to demand federal reimbursement for the costs of care. He alleged in his order that undocumented immigrants increase the costs of medical care for all Texans.
“Now, Texas has reliable data on the dramatic financial impact that illegal immigration is having on our hospital system,” said Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, in an emailed statement on Friday…