Governor Directs Health Agencies to Review China-Linked Medical Device Risks

Gov. Greg Abbott has directed Texas health agencies and state-owned medical facilities to review cybersecurity and procurement policies tied to medical equipment made in China.

The directive applies to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of State Health Services and public university systems, according to a March 9 press release from the governor’s office. Abbott said state-owned medical facilities must ensure safeguards are in place to protect Texans’ private medical data and medical infrastructure.

“Maintaining Texans’ physical security and protecting their personal privacy, especially personal medical data, is of paramount importance,” said Abbott. “I will not let communist China spy on Texans. State-owned medical facilities must ensure there are safeguards in place to protect Texans’ private medical data and our critical medical infrastructure.”

The governor’s office said the order follows federal notices issued in January by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Food and Drug Administration describing security vulnerabilities in Chinese-manufactured patient monitoring devices, including risks that could allow unauthorized remote access to protected health information.

The move builds on Abbott’s broader effort to restrict foreign-linked technologies in Texas government. The governor in January expanded the state’s prohibited technologies list to add more artificial intelligence firms, hardware manufacturers and apps tied to foreign adversaries, particularly entities linked to the Chinese government.

That earlier action also named the Texas Cyber Command as the lead agency for identifying and assessing technology threats to state systems, with support from the Department of Information Resources and the Department of Public Safety.

The governor’s office did not identify specific manufacturers or provide a timeline for agency reviews in the release.