News

DSHS Updates Patient Education Resource for Prenatal Practitioners - 12/18/2024

Physicians can access the updated, free publication from DSHS, which includes timely information on topics such as congenital syphilis and urgent maternal warning signs as well as statewide resources for new parents.

TMA to Represent Texas Physicians’ Coding, Payment Concerns on National Credentialing Organization - 12/17/2024

TMA’s Director of Physician Payment Services has been appointed to the former Academy of Professional Coders’ National Advisory Board, where she will elevate the voices of Texas physicians through collaboration on coding, billing, and compliance issues.

TMA-Backed Bills Would Increase Access to Women’s Reproductive, Early Childhood Health Care - 12/12/2024

Twelve month postpartum coverage and a boost to certain Medicaid payments top a list of measures Texas lawmakers are moving on that would bolster women’s health care services, in line with the Texas Medical Association’s priorities for

HHSC Extends Medicaid PEMS Revalidation in Response to TMA Letter - 12/06/2024

By demonstrating how the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC’s) Medicaid enrollment and revalidation process is “time-consuming, cumbersome and confusing,” TMA has helped secure an extension for physicians with upcoming revalidation dates. HHSC has also added new reporting requirements.

Surprise Billing Rules Garner More Legal Action - 12/06/2024

Pressure is mounting on federal authorities with several legal actions now aiming to stop what physicians and hospitals say is an unfair arbitration process outlined in rules implementing the No Surprises Act, legislation passed in 2020 to address surprise medical bills.

TMA Reups Opposition to “Broad, Sweeping” Scope Creep in Federal Legislation - 12/06/2024

Organized medicine raised concerns about the Improving Care and Access to Nurses, or “I CAN,” Act in a letter to U.S. House leaders. The federal legislation would expand nonphysician practitioners’ scope of practice in treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. Read more.

Federal Memo Signals Compliance With TMA Court Win – For Now - 12/06/2024

Within days of the Texas Medical Association’s Feb. 23 court victory over federal regulators, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says it’s taking steps to comply with the court’s decision on rules for the No Surprises Act – even as HHS is “considering next steps” after TMA’s win.

Hospital Asks for Expedited Trial in Fort Worth Life-Sustaining Treatment Case - 12/05/2024

Believing that court-mandated, life-sustaining treatment is causing harm to a child in its care, Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth is attempting to resolve a highly publicized court case as quickly as possible.

TMA Ask the Expert: Delegate to Nonphysician Practitioners - 12/05/2024

Delegating prescriptive authority to nonphysician practitioners (NPPs), such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, can help physicians manage their workloads and budgets. But doing so requires vigilance to comply with state scope-of-practice laws and avoid costly billing mistakes.

Texas Influences Policy at AMA House of Delegates - 12/05/2024

Physician representatives of the Texas Medical Association last week took their expertise to an American Medical Association House of Delegates meeting punctuated this year by passionate discussions on scope of practice, health plan practices, COVID-19, telemedicine, diversity in medicine, and more.

Record State Budget Opens Door for Health Care Investment - 12/05/2024

The 88th Texas Legislature kicked off earlier this month, and the Texas Medical Association is already tracking nearly 700 bills, including promising proposals to reduce prior authorization requirements and concerning ones regarding scope expansion.

AMA Board Chair Calls on Texas to Help Secure Medicare Fix, Restore Physician Autonomy - 12/04/2024

Attendees of Texas Medical Association’s second Business of Medicine Conference heard a host of economic hurdles to physicians, but underscoring them all is the decades-long trend of decreasing Medicare physician payment, according to the American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees Chair Michael Suk, MD.

AMA President-Elect Acclaims TMA Advocacy for Scope, Prior Auth Wins - 12/04/2024

Texas physicians’ advocacy accomplishments both in the state and alongside the American Medical Association earned praise from AMA’s president-elect at the Texas Medical Association’s Leadership Summit on Jan. 27.

Multistage, Collaborative Review of State Trauma Rules Yields a Win for Medicine - 12/04/2024

A monthslong, multidisciplinary effort by a consortium of stakeholders in trauma and emergency medical services, including TMA, has borne fruit in trauma care rules that extend physician involvement and prioritize common sense in the trauma facility designation process.

Health Insurance Market Increasingly Consolidated, Federal Report Details - 12/03/2024

Market consolidation in health insurance increased from 2011 to 2022, per a recently released federal report, with the potential to impact payment and access to care.

TMA Letter Calls Out HHSC Over Medicaid Payment Rates - 11/25/2024

TMA responded to the state’s latest proposed Medicaid rates, issuing a letter calling out the lack of an inflationary adjustment, bringing along anesthesiologists and oncologists who will specifically be affected. Read more.

DEA Extends Controlled Substance Prescribing via Telemedicine Through 2025 - 11/25/2024

Until the end of next year, physicians can continue to prescribe schedule II-V controlled substances via audio-video telemedicine visits without needing to conduct an in-person medical evaluation of the patient, per rulemaking by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Read more.

The Physicians Foundation Seeks Health Care Leaders for New, Free Training Program - 11/20/2024

The one-year, hybrid training program will teach 25 physicians from across the country how to influence health care policy development at both state and federal levels. Participation in the program includes full coverage for tuition, travel, and CME credits.

Senate Committee Tackles Scope of Practice in Access-to-Care Hearing - 11/18/2024

In a hearing packed with representatives from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, behavioral health, licensing boards, and academia, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee tackled Texas’ health care workforce shortages with the Texas Medical Association delivering its message loud and clear: Expanding scope of practice is not the answer to helping patients in rural and underserved areas.

TMA Leadership Encourages Legislative Relationships to Protect Medicine - 11/18/2024

To best serve medicine’s agenda in the upcoming Texas legislative session, the Texas Medical Association urges members to make and capitalize on relationships with their local representatives, as leadership previewed the likely tumultuous session ahead at the close of TMA’s Business of Medicine Conference last week.

Future Noncompete Bills Must Strike Balance, TMA Tells Texas Lawmakers - 11/18/2024

In the practice of medicine, noncompete agreements have special public policy concerns, “as their use can impact continuity of care, access to needed medical services, and patient choice of a physician,” the Texas Medical Association recently testified to the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee. That’s largely why any future bills on noncompete agreements should “strike a reasonable balance between the employer’s interests and the interests of the employee and the public.”

Legislature Examines Children’s Mental Health Ahead of 2025 Session - 11/18/2024

Texas lawmakers have made great strides in their ongoing investment in mental health services and support for children and their families, and that must continue if Texas is to improve such access to care and reduce the risk of behavioral health crises.

Abbott Signals Support for Opioid Crisis Interventions - 11/18/2024

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently listed the fentanyl crisis as one of seven “emergency” items this session, clearing a path toward passage of Texas Medical Association-backed legislation that aims to curb opioid-related deaths.

Bills Threaten Medical Liability Reforms - 11/18/2024

At least two bills have the Texas Medical Association on notice for threats that aim to weaken Texas’ landmark 2003 medical liability reforms meant to protect access to care and patient safety.

TMA Leery of Proposed Balance Billing Law - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association is deeply skeptical of a state senator’s freshly filed effort to prevent physicians from balance billing patients for the services they provide. On Thursday, Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) filed Senate Bill 1264, a measure to address surprise out-of-network medical bills. The legislation emerged with no input from the House of Medicine