Stories with related Professional Interests

Coming Unwound: Mass Disenrollments Hurt Patients and Physicians Alike - 11/02/2023

The end of continuous Medicaid eligibility has led to mass disenrollments, hurting patients and physicians alike.

The Unwinding: What the End of the COVID PHE Means for Continuous Medicaid Coverage - 02/24/2023

After nearly three years and 11 extensions, the federal public health emergency related to COVID-19 is poised to end this spring, and with it, continuous Medicaid coverage for more than 2.5 million Texans.

Medicaid Extends Reenrollment Time Frames - 08/09/2022

To help manage a backlog of revalidation applications stemming from the transition to Medicaid’s new Provider Enrollment Management System (PEMS), the state’s Medicaid claims payment contractor announced it will extend revalidation timeframes for physicians and other health care practitioners and suspend disenrollments related to that process.

CMS Drops Opposition to Texas’ Medicaid Waiver Extension; TMA Concerns Persist - 05/26/2022

Texas’ safety net got a reprieve when the federal government agreed to drop its opposition to a 10-year extension of Texas’ Medicaid 1115 Transformation Waiver, ensuring an annual $3.8 billion to offset uncompensated care through 2030.

Federal Bill Includes Longer Medicaid Coverage for New Mothers and Children - 10/27/2021

A federal budget bill under negotiation in Congress would expand Medicaid coverage for both new mothers and children, and the Texas Medical Association has signed onto a letter urging preservation of those provisions.

Help Louisiana Medicaid Patients Affected by Hurricane Ida - 09/02/2021

If you’d like to lend medical services to people from Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ida, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has released information on how Texas physicians can help Louisiana Medicaid recipients.

Modest Payment Change, New Telehealth Requirements in Proposed Medicare Fee Schedule - 07/21/2021

A proposed change to Medicare’s payment formula under the 2022 physician fee schedule, if implemented, would mean a modest payment cut for some physicians. However, the fee schedule proposal – coming in this year at a crisp 1,747 pages – includes what would be significant changes to telehealth in Medicare, among other provisions.

Feds’ Withdrawal of Texas’ Medicaid Waiver Extension Raises Concerns Over Future Safety-Net Funding - 04/19/2021

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday announced the withdrawal of its Jan. 15, 2021, approval to extend Texas Medicaid’s 1115 Transformation Waiver for 10 years.

Medicaid Kills Proposed Rule That Would Have Restricted Supplemental Funding, Services - 09/15/2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Monday withdrew a proposed rule that would’ve restricted how states fund their share of Medicaid, causing serious cuts in services.

Leadership by Fire: Stephanie Stephens New Texas Medicaid, CHIP Director - 08/03/2020

Stephanie Stephens received a not-so-welcome gift entering her new job running Medicaid operations for the nation’s second-largest state: A global pandemic. In that sense, the universe wasn’t easy on Ms. Stephens, the new director of Medicaid and CHIP for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

TMA to State: Protect Physician Pay, Women’s Health Programs from Budget Cuts - 06/04/2020

The Texas Medical Association is applauding state leaders’ decision to leave Medicaid and CHIP benefits out of a planned 5% budget reduction for 2020-21. But TMA also is asking the state to protect physicians’ Medicaid payments and women’s health programs from its cuts.

Physicians Needed for Medicaid Managed Care Advisory Panel - 03/03/2020

March 13 is the new deadline to get your application to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission if you want to serve on its State Medicaid Managed Care Advisory Committee. The panel advises the commission on Medicaid managed care operations statewide.

Medicine to CMS: Medicare Report Inflates Success of Quality Program - 05/01/2019

If you read the recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) report on the first-year of the Quality Payment Program, you’d likely come away with the perception that the program’s launch was an overwhelming success. But a closer look by the Texas Medical Association raises serious doubts about CMS’ numbers, transparency, and cheerleading – so much so that TMA and seven other state medical associations are asking the agency to take back the report.

Physicians Tell Feds: Rework Network Adequacy Plan - 02/08/2019

The Texas Medical Association and the Texas Pediatric Society are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reconsider several parts of its proposal to redefine adequate networks for Medicaid.

Panel: Value-Based Care Bearing Fruit - 01/30/2019

Although some of the numbers documenting access to care in Texas are less than encouraging, the shift to value-based care in Medicaid is showing positive signs, a panel collectively told the Texas Medical Association’s Winter Conference on Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Austin.

Pediatrician Named HHSC Medicaid Chief Medical Officer - 01/15/2019

San Antonio pediatrician Ryan Van Ramshorst, MD, has been appointed chief medical officer for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program within the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Medicaid Eligibility Verification Website to Be Shuttered Friday - 12/13/2018

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will decommission the YourTexasBenefitsCard.com website and the Medicaid eligibility verification Interactive Voice Response system at 7 pm (Central) on Friday.

TMA Offers to Help New HHSC Chief Reform Medicaid - 11/30/2018

The Texas Medical Association knows the state’s Medicaid managed care system needs to get better, and physicians are ready to help the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s new leader make it happen. That’s what TMA and three other organizations told new HHSC Executive Commissioner Courtney Phillips, PhD, in a letter this week welcoming her to her new post and highlighting steps to cut Medicaid red tape and enhance access to care.

Webinar Can Help You Clear Medicaid Telemedicine Static - 10/12/2018

Do you understand telemedicine in Texas, particularly when treating Medicaid patients? If not, you might want to register for a live, free webinar on telemedicine and telehealth services scheduled for the end of October.

CMS Extends Texas’ Medicaid 1115 Waiver - 01/10/2018

Late in December, CMS awarded Texas a five-year extension of its Medicaid Section 1115 Transformation Waiver, providing crucial funding for public and private safety-net hospitals that are improving care delivery for Medicaid and low-income uninsured patients.