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TMA to Urge Legislators to Put Patients Before Health Insurance Profits

April 6, 2009

• WHAT: Texas Medical Association’s (TMA’s) First Tuesdays at the Capitol — More than 400 TMA physicians and medical students are descending upon the capitol to fight for health insurance reforms and improved funding for graduate medical education and physician loan repayment programs. Physicians are asking legislators to set health insurance reform bills for hearings in their respective House and Senate committees, especially the Health Insurance Code of Conduct Act of 2009.  House Bill 2750 by Rep. Craig Eiland (D-Galveston) and Senate Bill 1257 by Sen. Kip Averitt (R-Waco) would hold big health insurance accountable for the promises they make to the Texans who buy their products. These bills are part of TMA’s grassroots effort, Patients’ Right to Know, that aims to make buying and using health insurance easier for patients.
  
• WHEN: Tuesday, April 7, 7 am until 4 pm
  
• WHERE: TMA building, Thompson Auditorium, first floor, 401 W. 15th St., Austin; and the Texas capitol
  
• WHO: TMA physician leaders, medical students, and TMA Alliance members
  
• WHY: With less than half of the legislative session remaining, physician leaders are asking legislators to support key bills that are important to Texas patients, such as:
  • Making health insurance coverage easier for patients to understand (what it does and does not cover),
  • Limiting health plans’ ability to abruptly rescind a patient’s insurance over technicalities,
  • Ensuring Texas has enough residency slots so our medical students do not have to leave the state to complete their education (and likely set up practice in that other state),
  • Improving the physician loan reimbursement program so more doctors can set up practices in rural and medically underserved areas to help patients there,
  • Protecting patients by ensuring that only physicians practice medicine, and
  • Allowing no outside influence to interfere with patients’ and physicians’ decisions about the best and most appropriate care.

TMA is asking state leaders to follow its prescription outlined in Doctor’s Orders: TMA’s Prescription for a Healthy Texas, and the Patients’ Right to Know patient and physician grassroots effort.

Reporters and photographers, please contact us to attend TMA’s First Tuesdays briefings or join physicians as they meet with legislators.TMA can assist you by arranging interviews with physicians from your area.
 
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing nearly 44,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.

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Last Published: 4/6/2009