Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened last week to revoke government funding from a children’s hospital in response to a Houston doctor’s viral TikTok advising patients to skip a citizenship question on intake forms.
Abbott issued an executive order in early August requiring hospitals that take Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Plan to ask patients “Are you a U.S. citizen?” on specific intake forms. The new order went into effect on Nov. 1.
Dr. Tony Pastor, a cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, took to TikTok on Nov. 11 to let his audience know that he and other staff at the hospital were told that people did not have to answer the new question, despite the executive order.
His video went viral, garnering over one million views before it was taken down.
“So my proposal to everyone who’s seeing this is, just know that you do not have to answer this question,” Pastor said in the now-deleted video.
Abbott responded in an accusatory Nov. 24 X post, warning the hospital that it could lose its funding because of Pastor’s comments.
“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,” Abbott wrote.
“There will be consequences for failing to follow the law in the Order.”
Pastor posted a brief response to the governor’s apparent threats on Nov. 26.
“When the gov of Texas threatens you on twitter because he is mad you exercised freedom of speech,” Pastor captioned a TikTok post.
“This new law that’s asking hospitals for immigration status is under the guise of trying to get data on how much money we’re spending on undocumented patients,” he said in another video posted just days before Abbott’s response.
A representative for the Texas Children’s Hospital wrote in a statement that they will be complying with Abbott’s executive order, and insisted that Pastor’s stance does not reflect the entire hospital.
“Texas Children’s fully supports Governor Abbott’s new Executive Order and is in full compliance. We have worked closely with the Texas Hospital Association and our industry partners across the state to ensure compliance in advance of the effective date,” the spokesperson wrote.
“While we recognize that individuals working at Texas Children’s hold their own personal views on many topics, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of Texas Children’s Hospital. We will continue to prioritize patient care while ensuring we are in full compliance with all laws and legal directives.”
Meanwhile, other medical and advocacy groups across the state have been doling out the same advice as Pastor.
“You do not have to answer the citizenship question if you don’t want to. Your answer will not affect your care — you will not be turned away,” a flyer posted by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reads.
“You have a right to life-saving care, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.”
The American Civil Liberties Union has also chimed in and agrees that patients aren’t legally required to respond to the new question.
Texas Children’s Hospital has previously complied with the state’s orders, including halting hormone-related prescriptions for transgender kids in 2022 following Abbott’s instruction for Child Protective Services to investigate parents and doctors granting transgender youth gender-affirming care.
