10-31-24

Starting this Friday, November 1st, an Executive Order signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on August 8th, 2024 will require hospitals to ask patients about their respective citizenship status.

Uvalde Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Adam Apolinar made the announcement to the Rotary Club of Uvalde during its Thursday, October 31st Noon meeting.

Apolinar said, as always, UMH will not turn any patient away from getting treatment regardless of his/her immigration status. He continued stating that a patient can choose not to provide an answer to the question.

“According to state officials, the reason for the new law is data gathering.

In August, Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order requiring healthcare workers at inpatient or emergency care to ask patients if they are U.S. citizens. The law doesn’t specify if patients have to legally answer the question.

Abbott said he wants to collect data on the costs of caring for undocumented patients.  He claims Texas absorbs a large percentage of the costs associated with medical care for those who are not lawfully in the United States,” a news report from NBCDFW.com said.

According to the new law, Texas Hospitals are required to report the data they collect back by March 2025.

“We’re a compassionate country that takes care of everyone because that’s part of Christian principles the nation was founded upon. This new law is racist. They (the Texas Governor and those 

behind this new law) have ulterior motives, ” Henry Rodriguez of LULAC Concilo Zapatista 4380 said.