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In accordance with Executive Order No. GA-46. issued by Governor Greg Abbott on August 8, 2024, hospital providers must ask each patient during the hospital intake process whether the patient is (1) a citizen or an alien lawfully present in the United States, or (2) an alien not lawfully present in the United States. Hospital providers must report to HHSC quarterly the number of inpatient discharges of and emergency visits by all patients and patients who are (1) a citizen or an alien lawfully present in the United States, and (2) an alien not lawfully present in the United States. Hospital providers must also report to HHSC quarterly the costs of care for patients who are not lawfully present in the United States. Hospitals are expected to begin collecting the information by November 1, 2024, and begin reporting to HHSC on March 1, 2025.
When collecting information about a patient’s immigration status, hospital providers must provide notification that, as required by federal law, the response will not affect patient care.
See the initial draft of the spreadsheet to be used to collect data here: Hospitals & Clinic Services | Provider Finance Department (texas.gov)
This spreadsheet is designed to provide guidance as to what information acute-care hospitals will need to be able to track, collect, and report so that you can begin making any necessary system adjustments in advance of November 1, 2024. As indicated in the executive order, reporting will be done by month, on a quarterly basis. The bulleted list below outlines how the reporting will be done:
- March 1, 2025 – Information for September, October, November due (for this first year there will be no reporting for September or October).
- June 1, 2025 – Information for September through February due.
- September 1, 2025 – Information for September through May due.
- December 1, 2025 – Information for September through August will be due.
- January 1, 2026 – HHSC will provide report to the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker of the House on the proceeding years costs.
Each time data is submitted, information will need to be provided for all applicable months. This means data for previously reported months will need to be updated and/or provided again as appropriate. We will provide further guidance in the coming weeks to specify how this information will be reported to HHSC.
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