Texas
Gov. Abbott signs order requiring TX hospitals to inquire about patients' immigration status
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Texas hospitals will soon have to start tracking how many of its patients are in the country illegally.
An executive order signed by Gov. Greg Abbott Thursday afternoon requires hospitals to start tracking that information by Nov. 1. Hospitals will also have to track how much money they spend on care for undocumented immigrants.
The order requires hospitals to report its findings to the state’s Health and Human Services Commission four times a year starting March 1.
“I very much believe this is a political move that vilifies our immigrant communities,” Imelda Mejia, with the immigrant advocacy group Texas Rising, said.
Mejia worries the new law will make people think twice about seeking treatment.
“It’s going to throw patients for a loop, I think, and we know that immigrant families already have a hard time navigating our health care system,” she said.
As noted in the executive order, patients won’t be turned away because of their immigration status. Abbott argues that since the state is paying for treatment through Medicaid funding, it has a right to try to recoup the cost from the federal government.
“It is important to the taxpayers to know how their money is being spent, how much it’s costing them, and where that money is going,” Ira Mehlman with the Federation for American Immigration Reform said.
Florida enacted a similar law in 2023. The state reports it’s spending $148 million a year on health care for undocumented immigrants.
While hospitals can ask about immigration status, legal experts say you’re not required to answer.
“Even if people don’t say if they’re in the country illegally, you can make a reasonable deduction here. If people don’t have a valid ID,” Mehlman said.
The executive order doesn’t spell out if that will be an acceptable way for hospitals to gather data.
Harris Health, which operates Ben Taub and LBJ, said it would comply with the law but didn’t provide specifics as to how.
For news updates, follow Luke Jones on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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J.J. Spaun is now a two-time winner of the Valero Texas Open.
The 2025 U.S. Open champion made an eagle on the par-4 17th hole to move to 17 under, good enough for a one-shot win. He also won the Texas Open at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course in 2022.
With the win, he takes home $1.764 million and heads into the Masters with plenty of momentum.
Here’s the breakdown of how much money each PGA Tour player earned from a $9.8 million purse at the Valero Texas Open.
Valero Texas Open 2026 prize money payouts
| Position | Player | Score | Earnings |
| 1 | J.J. Spaun | -17 | $1,764,000 |
| T2 | Matt Wallace | -16 | $741,533 |
| T2 | Michael Kim | -16 | $741,533 |
| T2 | Robert MacIntyre | -16 | $741,533 |
| T5 | Andrew Putnam | -15 | $378,525 |
| T5 | Ludvig Aberg | -15 | $378,525 |
| 7 | Kevin Yu | -14 | $330,750 |
| T8 | Chandler Phillips | -13 | $296,450 |
| T8 | Ryo Hisatsune | -13 | $296,450 |
| T10 | Si Woo Kim | -11 | $237,650 |
| T10 | Tommy Fleetwood | -11 | $237,650 |
| T10 | Austin Eckroat | -11 | $237,650 |
| T10 | Kristoffer Reitan | -11 | $237,650 |
| T14 | Andrew Novak | -10 | $159,250 |
| T14 | John Parry | -10 | $159,250 |
| T14 | Sudarshan Yellamaraju | -10 | $159,250 |
| T14 | Sami Valimaki | -10 | $159,250 |
| T14 | Eric Cole | -10 | $159,250 |
| T14 | Davis Thompson | -10 | $159,250 |
| T14 | Alex Smalley | -10 | $159,250 |
| T21 | J.T. Poston | -9 | $95,550 |
| T21 | S.H. Kim | -9 | $95,550 |
| T21 | Hideki Matsuyama | -9 | $95,550 |
| T21 | Maverick McNealy | -9 | $95,550 |
| T21 | Bud Cauley | -9 | $95,550 |
| T21 | Marco Penge | -9 | $95,550 |
| T21 | Sam Ryder | -9 | $95,550 |
| T28 | Nick Taylor | -8 | $71,540 |
| T28 | Zach Bauchou | -8 | $71,540 |
| T30 | Paul Waring | -7 | $60,025 |
| T30 | Mac Meissner | -7 | $60,025 |
| T30 | A.J. Ewart | -7 | $60,025 |
| T30 | Doug Ghim | -7 | $60,025 |
| T30 | Alex Noren | -7 | $60,025 |
| T30 | Kevin Roy | -7 | $60,025 |
| T36 | Billy Horschel | -6 | $48,673 |
| T36 | Austin Smotherman | -6 | $48,673 |
| T36 | Chris Kirk | -6 | $48,673 |
| T39 | Rico Hoey | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Matt McCarty | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Brandt Snedeker | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Brian Harman | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Taylor Moore | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Chad Ramey | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Kevin Streelman | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Adam Schenk | -5 | $35,809 |
| T39 | Adam Svensson | -5 | $35,809 |
| T49 | Christo Lamprecht | -4 | $24,676 |
| T49 | Beau Hossler | -4 | $24,676 |
| T49 | Adrien Dumont de Chassart | -4 | $24,676 |
| T49 | Thorbjorn Olesen | -4 | $24,676 |
| T49 | Tony Finau | -4 | $24,676 |
| T54 | Bronson Burgoon | -3 | $22,834 |
| T54 | Vince Whaley | -3 | $22,834 |
| T54 | Gordon Sargent | -3 | $22,834 |
| T54 | Steven Fisk | -3 | $22,834 |
| T54 | Hank Lebioda | -3 | $22,834 |
| T59 | David Ford | -2 | $22,050 |
| T59 | Erik van Rooyen | -2 | $22,050 |
| T59 | Stephan Jaeger | -2 | $22,050 |
| 62 | Takumi Kanaya | -1 | $21,658 |
| T63 | Peter Malnati | E | $21,364 |
| T63 | Jordan Spieth | E | $21,364 |
| T65 | Mark Hubbard | 1 | $20,972 |
| T65 | Jeffrey Kang | 1 | $20,972 |
| T67 | Danny Walker | 2 | $20,482 |
| T67 | Will Zalatoris | 2 | $20,482 |
| T67 | Joe Highsmith | 2 | $20,482 |
| 70 | Luke Clanton | 3 | $20,090 |
EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Epilepsy patients in El Paso will now be able to access the highest level of specialized care without leaving the region after Texas Tech Health El Paso and its academic hospital partner, University Medical Center of El Paso, earned a top national certification.
The National Association of Epilepsy Centers certified the joint program as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center on Friday, April 3. A Level 4 Epilepsy Center represents the highest level of care for patients with epilepsy, offering the most advanced diagnostic and treatment options, including complex surgical interventions. The designation is the first of its kind for the Borderplex.
Sushma Reddy Yerram, M.D., a neurologist with Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso and an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the Foster School of Medicine, shared that this certification means avoiding long-distance travel for their patients.
“With this designation, our epilepsy patients can receive the most advanced medical and surgical care close to home—eliminating the need to travel elsewhere,” Yerram said.
Before the certification, patients from El Paso and their families had to travel to Albuquerque, Phoenix, Dallas, Austin or San Antonio to receive level 4 of epilepsy care. Staying in El Paso means patients can remain close to their support systems of family and friends while receiving advanced care.
Texas Tech Health El Paso President Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., shared his pride in the efforts involved.
“This milestone reflects an extraordinary collaborative effort, and I’m incredibly proud of the team whose dedication made this historic achievement possible,” Lange said.
For more information on Texas Tech Health El Paso epilepsy services, visit ttuhscep.edu.
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