Gov. Greg Abbott criticized a Texas Children’s Hospital cardiologist for posting a TikTok video informing potential patients that they were not have to comply with an executive order he issued. After Abbott warned that non-compliant entities risk losing funds, the hospital published a statement supporting the directive.
Abbott’s August executive order, which authorized the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect data on illegal foreign nationals receiving inpatient and emergency care at Texas public hospitals, presents the problem. It also requires HHSC to report all inpatient and emergency care costs for unlawful foreign nationals to the governor and state legislature on an annual basis so that the state can seek reimbursement from the federal government.
Dr. Tony Pastor, assistant professor and cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, posted a video on Tiktok, which has since been taken down , claiming that medical staff “were told today that people do not actually have to answer the question.” He also said, his “proposal to everyone who’s seeing this is, just know that you do not have to answer this question.”
He also added, “wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone who comes in doesn’t answer it, and it really messes with the data that they’re looking for?”
Pastor, who describes himself as “a gay doctor,” said in a Nov. 22 video, according to an archive online, that “Governor Abbott has this new decree that after November 1, any patient who comes to a hospital has to click a box, basically, on the intake form, that says, ‘Are you a U.S. citizen, or are you not a U.S. citizen?'”It’s made all of us, physicians and providers, really uncomfortable. No one has told us what individuals are going to do with this information,” he said, adding that he was concerned the data might be used for deportation.
The order specifically instructs hospitals to advise patients that any response to such questions would have no bearing on their medical care, as required by federal law.
Abbott’s directive references a May 31, 2021 disaster proclamation he issued in response to the surge of illegal border crossers in Texas, which “posed an ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for a number of Texas counties and all state agencies affected by this disaster.”
The order instructs acute care hospitals enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, as well as any other providers specified by HHSC, to begin collecting required information on November 1, 2024.
In response, Gov. Abbott replied on X , stating, “Hey Texas Children’s Hospital & Baylor College of Medicine, this doctor is putting your Medicaid and Medicare funding at risk. You better think twice & have crystal clear records. There will be consequences for failing to follow the law in the Executive Order.”
Abbott issued the order in August, blaming the Biden administration for the border crisis, which increased government costs, including those for healthcare. “Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants,” he told reporters. He also proposed that the federal government reimburse Texas for the costs connected with illegal immigration.
“The federal government may and should be obligated to reimburse the state of Texas for the costs that its open border policies have imposed on Texans, costs of which the state had no notice and which it could not have anticipated when agreeing to shared health funding mechanisms on the premise that the federal government would follow federal laws,” he said.
Abbott’s order cites a disaster proclamation he issued on May 31, 2021, due to the surge of illegal border crossers in Texas who “posed and the ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for a number of Texas counties and for all state agencies affected by this disaster.”
It also requires covered hospitals to report required data to HHSC quarterly, with initial reports due March 1, 2025, and annually beginning Jan. 1, 2026, to the governor and heads of state legislature.
Texas Children’s issued a statement in response to Abbot’s remarks, stating that doctors’ personal opinions do not represent the institution and that it is complying.
“Texas Children’s fully supports Governor Abbott’s new Executive Order and is in full compliance,” it said . “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. 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.”
The Biden administration issued the order after The Center Square reported the highest number of unauthorized border crossings in US history, approximately 14 million.