Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened Houston-based Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine's Medicare and Medicaid funding in a Nov. 24 post to social media platform X, the San Antonio Current reported Nov. 27.
"Hey Texas Children's Hospital & Baylor College of Medicine, this doctor is putting your Medicaid and Medicare funding at risk," Gov. Abbott wrote on X. "You better think twice & have crystal clear records. There will be consequences for failing to follow the law in the Executive Order."
The threat came after Tony Pastor, MD, a cardiologist at Texas Children's, posted a video informing patients that they are not required to answer questions about their citizenship status when receiving medical care.
The video criticized Gov. Abbott's recent signing of an executive order that requires hospitals receiving Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program funding to collect and report data regarding the cost of medical care provided to illegal immigrants. The order, which went into effect Nov. 1, requires hospitals to ask patients whether they are in the U.S. legally, and patients can decline to provide this information. Hospital employees must tell patients that their response will not affect their care.
Texas Children's Hospital released a statement in response to Gov. Abbott's post on Nov. 25, saying that the hospital "fully supports" the executive order and is in "full compliance."
"We have worked closely with the Texas Hospital Association and our industry partners across the state to ensure compliance in advance of the effective date," the statement continues. "While we recognize that individuals working at Texas Children’s hold their own personal views on many topics, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of Texas Children's Hospital. We will continue to prioritize patient care while ensuring we are in full compliance with all laws and legal directives."