Gov. Abbott Threatening To Defund A Children’s Hospital
Aren't politics a strange thing? Especially Texas politics, I swear they're the craziest of them all. Wild wild west mentality at times it would seem.
Well keeping in the theme of that, we've got a very interesting development that involves the Governor and a children's hospital in Houston, and it's all wrapped around one little question that is asked on many different forms in the country.
That question? "Are you a U.S. citizen?". It's one of those questions that many wonder if they HAVE to answer it. Again, that typically depends on what you're filling out and what the policies are of the place that is asking it of you.
If you're filling out a job application, it has to be answered. There are taxes and all that involved with a job and in order to stay in compliance and legal, you have to be able to pay taxes and all that.
This is also a question asked on forms you have to fill out when visiting a hospital. The state says you must answer that particular question on the forms, and the hospital is supposed to check it. If it's not answered, they'll ask you to answer the question. It is currently part of Texas state law.
A doctor in Houston though is saying you do NOT have to answer that question as they will provide care, regardless of if you are a citizen or not. It's in the hospital creed that you will be treated, regardless of whether you have insurance or not, if you are suffering a medical emergency that could mean life or death.
Hospitals that receive Medicaid and Medicare funds from the state will rarely refuse care, even if it's not a life-threatening situation. The hospital this doctor works at, Texas Children's in Houston, is now facing potentially having their funds pulled.
In early August, Governor Abbott issued an executive order stating that hospitals that accept Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Plan must ask the citizenship question. If they show it continuously not answered, they could lose their funding.
The doctor, Tony Pastor, went viral on TikTok stating that you do NOT have to answer that question. You will still receive care regardless of you answering it or not.
Well, that caught the attention of Governor Abbott, and he wasn't too thrilled about it. In fact, he threatened the hospital and school the doctor is a professor at.
“Hey Texas Children’s Hospital & Baylor College of Medicine this doctor is putting your Medicaid & Medicare funding at risk. [You] better think twice & have crystal clear records. There will be consequences for failing to follow the law in the Order,” Abbott stated.
Essentially, the Governor is stating that if hospitals don't require patients to answer that question, they could lose that Medicaid funding for the hospital, and that could have very adverse effects on the hospital.
Dr. Pastor had a response to the Governor and what he feels is REALLY going on with the state asking that question.
@drtonypastor Expand medicaid
Stay tuned, because I feel like this is far from over.