Texas health officials have asked the state attorney general to investigate whether maternity-service advertising connected to two Rio Grande Valley hospitals violated state or federal law.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission referral names Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission and Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco. The referral is a request for further investigation, not a finding that either hospital broke the law.
Gov. Greg Abbott directed HHSC on July 7 to investigate Mission Regional after reports circulated about Spanish-language advertising for “birth packages in South Texas.†According to the state referral and reporting by The Texas Tribune, the advertising listed delivery prices, a Rio Grande Valley telephone number and the website havemybabyinTEXAS.com.
HHSC said publicly available material connected both hospitals to the website. State officials have characterized the advertising as possible “birth tourism,†a term generally used when someone travels to another country to give birth. Abbott has alleged that the marketing targeted foreign nationals seeking U.S. citizenship for their children.
Mission Regional confirmed that it had used the billboard and told the Tribune that the material was discontinued to prevent misunderstandings. The hospital said it would cooperate with state officials and emphasized that its focus remains on providing care to patients.
The attorney general will determine whether the referral warrants further legal action. No final enforcement decision had been announced as of Wednesday morning.
The case has particular importance in Hidalgo County because it combines questions about hospital marketing, maternity care, immigration policy and the responsibilities of health care facilities that receive public funding. Any future findings will depend on the attorney general’s review and the applicable state and federal laws.
Sources: The Texas Tribune, the Office of the Texas Governor and the governor’s July 7 directive.
