Houston Doctor Risks Medicaid Funding With TikTok Video

Nurse greeting patient in medical office waiting room

Photo: Digital Vision

After a Houston doctor at Texas Children's Hospital encouraged patients not to fill out the legally mandated citizenship question on hospital intake forms, Governor Greg Abbott is threatening to pull their Medicaid funding.

In the now-deleted video posted to his TikTok, Dr. Tony Pastor referenced the rule requiring patients to state whether or not they were citizens, saying, "Wouldn't it be amazing if everyone who comes in, doesn't answer it? It really messes with whatever data they're looking for."

Attorney Rob Henneke told KTRH that this isn't an isolated incident. He said, "What we're talking about here is a mutiny by some medical professionals, and outside groups, to encourage open defiance of the law."

Governor Greg Abbott spoke out via X, warning that non-compliance with the law won't go unpunished.

Texas Children's Hospital has since come out in support of Governor Abbott's rule, stating that they both fully support it and are in compliance with it. Henneke says since this rule has been in effect for less than a month, we need to give the hospitals the opportunity to "show good faith compliance."

Henneke also remarked that if these hospitals don't comply, restriction of Medicaid benefits is a fitting punishment. He said, "Taking away Medicaid funds is very punitive. Probably most of the revenue for these hospitals and doctors comes from being a Medicaid provider."


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