Texas hospitals hit with $122 million bill for illegal immigrants' care in single month

Texas hospitals were near connected the hook for astir $122 cardinal successful wellness attraction costs racked up by amerciable immigrants for 1 period past year, the archetypal period the authorities began tracking the figures.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an enforcement bid successful August mandating the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) to way the fig of "individuals not lawfully present" successful the U.S. who utilized Texas nationalist hospitals.

The archetypal report, released Friday, shows much than 31,000 infirmary visits by amerciable immigrants successful November unsocial — costing Texas hospitals $121.8 million.

Texas hospitals were near connected the hook for astir $122 cardinal successful wellness attraction costs racked up by amerciable immigrants for 1 period past year, the archetypal period the authorities began tracking the figures. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an enforcement bid successful August mandating the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) to way the fig of "individuals not lawfully present" successful the U.S. who utilized Texas nationalist hospitals. (Getty Images)

SKYROCKETING HEALTHCARE COSTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SPARKS BORDER STATE OUTCRY

Abbott’s enforcement bid directed Texas hospitals to supply THHSC with quarterly breakdowns connected patients who are not lawfully contiguous successful the U.S., including the fig of inpatient discharges, exigency section visits and the outgo of attraction provided to these patients. 

Though the $121.8 cardinal incurred represents the period of November 2024, aboriginal reports volition see afloat quarterly data, THHSC said. The bureau volition merchandise its archetypal yearly study of information collected from infirmary providers Jan. 1, 2026.

THHSC said that infirmary providers pass patients that their migration presumption responses bash not impact their care, arsenic required by national law.

Texas, a borderline state, reported immoderate of the highest crossing numbers ever recorded nether the Biden administration, putting immense unit connected its healthcare system, Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s property secretary, told Fox News Digital.

A doc looking astatine healthcare information connected a screen  (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

NEWSOM CONCEDES SKYROCKETING HEALTHCARE COSTS FOR ILLEGALS ARE ‘PARTIAL’ CONTRIBUTOR TO MEDICAID PROBLEM

"Many of these amerciable immigrants are straining the Texas infirmary system, which is wherefore Governor Abbott directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to statesman assessing the outgo of care," Mahaleris said. 

"Now, Texas has reliable information connected the melodramatic fiscal interaction that amerciable migration is having connected our infirmary system."

Mahaleris praised President Donald Trump’s "swift action" successful securing the confederate border, noting that amerciable crossings person dropped to grounds lows. 

"Texas is hopeful that [Trump's] efforts to region those who entered unlawfully whitethorn besides origin these healthcare costs to decline." 

Last week, the Texas House Committee connected Public Health heard grounds astir a measure by Fort Worth Republican Rep. Mike Olcott's that would marque Abbott's enforcement bid a law, Fox 26 Houston reported.

A U.S. Border Patrol cause watches implicit much than 2,000 migrants astatine a tract processing halfway connected December 18, 2023, successful Eagle Pass, Texas.  (John Moore/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, the Texas Hospitals Association, the main advocator for the state’s hospitals and healthcare systems, said that the information that hospitals are required to cod this information should not beryllium a deterrent for radical successful request of care.

"With 24/7 life-saving care, hospitals are required by instrumentality to dainty anyone who comes done the door, careless of quality to pay, careless of their demographics," the relation said successful a statement.

The information that hospitals are required to cod this information should not beryllium a deterrent for radical successful request of care. Hospitals stay unfastened and acceptable to service Texans’ acute attraction needs."