Every Texan’s Health and Food Justice Programs Manager, Lynn Cowles, spoke to The Associated Press about Gov. Abbott’s Executive Order GA-46. The order mandates the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to direct public hospitals in the state to collect demographic information on patients. This data will help hospital staff determine how many inpatient and emergency care patients are undocumented. The processes outlined in the Executive Order will begin on Nov. 1, 2024, coinciding with the date when DACA recipients nationwide can first enroll in Marketplace health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Health economist Paul Keckley suggested that any data collected by Florida and Texas is likely to be unreliable for several reasons. He indicated that the report released by Florida state officials could have “incomplete or inaccurate or misleading” data.

In both Florida and Texas, individuals who are not legally in the U.S. cannot enroll in Medicaid, except in cases of medical emergencies. Experts noted that multiple factors could affect the cost of care for undocumented individuals, particularly due to a lack of preventive care. Dr. James W. Castillo II, the health authority for Cameron County, Texas, which has about 22% of its population uninsured compared to the state average of 16.6%, stated that for progressive diseases like cancer, "it’s usually much harder to treat, much more expensive to treat."

Texas community groups, policymakers, and immigration attorneys are partnering with Every Texan—a nonprofit focusing on public policy and health care access—to encourage people not to answer questions regarding their legal status, said Lynn Cowles with Every Texan.

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