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  • iconQuality of Life: Pay-for-Quality Programs Increasingly Address Nonmedical Drivers of Health - 3/15/2024 6:25:35 PM

    Physicians who track their patients’ nonmedical drivers of health – the conditions in which they live, work, and play – frequently see the difference it makes just as if they prescribed the right medicine or surgery, says Tyler family medicine specia...

  • iconExceptional Circumstances: TMA Advocates “Legislative Clarity” Amid State Abortion Bans - 3/5/2024 4:56:43 PM

    A recent lawsuit filed by a pregnant woman in Texas seeking an abortion because of a fatal fetal diagnosis made national headlines and spotlights the legal labyrinth in which Texas patients and the physicians who care for them now find themselves.  ...

  • iconStop Paying to Get Paid - 2/28/2024 6:35:57 PM

    Would you pay $50 to deposit $1,000 into your bank account? You might be doing just that. When health plans pay you with a virtual credit card (VCC) — and many are paying that way — you could be losing as much 2 percent to 5 percent per transaction....

  • iconNew 24/7 Hotline to Assist in Treatment for Infected Newborns - 2/23/2024 9:30:12 PM

    The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio recently debuted a 24/7 telehealth help line to assist pediatric infectious disease specialists in treating neonatal illnesses, namely congenital syphilis, whose rates continue to rise...

  • iconMay Owen, MD, Outreach Program - 2/23/2024 9:12:07 PM

    The May Owen, MD, Outreach Program is a grant program of the TMA Women Physicians Section (TMA-WPS) that provides funding to bring female physician-oriented programs and activities to small and mid-sized county medical societies. Apply  |&...

  • iconEl Paso Physician Broadcast Takes Creative Approach to Fight Vaccine Hesitancy - 2/14/2024 6:56:15 PM

    No stranger to vaccine hesitancy, a group of El Paso physicians took a creative approach to addressing and other health concerns for patients who may need it most. The result: The El Paso Physician, a monthly video broadcast on the city’s PBS affilia...

  • iconTMA Web Site Privacy Statement - 1/9/2024 8:53:33 PM

    Principles for Privacy and Confidentiality The following principles reflect Texas Medical Association's commitment to maintain the Web site visitor's rights to privacy and the confidentiality of personal information. In this context, privacy refers ...

  • iconSeeking Balance: TMA Opposes Feds' Implementation of the No Surprises Act - 1/3/2024 8:24:29 PM

    When Congress passed the No Surprises Act in 2020, it was supposed to be a boon for patients: Take patients out of the middle of certain out-of-network billing disputes between insurers, physicians, and hospitals, and give them more transparency in t...

  • iconICD-10 Code Search Tool - 12/6/2023 6:27:29 PM

    When you need to find the right ICD-10 code, use a free tool offered by e-MDs. With the e-MDs ICD-10 Code Search Tool, you can apply the right ICD-10 coding at the point of patient contact, improving your rate of accepted claims. Use keywords, abbre...

  • iconMedical Records and the Divorced Parent - 12/6/2023 6:02:13 PM

    Q. Do both divorced parents have a right to access the information in their minor child’s chart? A. Both parents have the right to access the child’s medical records unless specifically limited by the court granting the divorce. According to Texas ...

  • iconMisdirected: Health Plan Directories See Damaging Gaps Awaiting Final Rules - 12/4/2023 7:50:07 PM

    Cypress neurologist Navin Kesari, MD, didn’t expect to be removed from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas’ (BCBSTX’s) network directory.    He’d had no prior issues with the health plan’s directory, and no reason to believe that woul...

  • iconCMS Strengthens Price Transparency for Hospitals - 11/29/2023 5:43:15 PM

    A new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule aims to strengthen hospital price transparency regulations for 2024, a move physicians hope will address weaknesses in prior policy that hindered them and patients from making inform...

  • iconE-Tobacco Protocol Integrates Intervention Into EHRs - 11/13/2023 6:06:00 PM

    For adult and adolescent patients, physicians now have a seamless way to intervene for tobacco cessation in the form of the eTobacco Protocol, a referral tool integrated into electronic health records (EHRs). The eTobacco Protocol is a project...

  • iconInspiring Choices: Mentorship Can Boost African-American Representation in Medicine - 10/20/2023 11:51:16 PM

    Vivian H. Porche, MD, has been mentoring young African American students since the 1990s, but only a handful followed in her footsteps to become a physician. One of those rare successes came last month when Victoria Beamer, MD, walked across the stag...

  • icon“When Everything Inside of You Just Wants to Quit, PBF Is There.” - 9/8/2023 3:41:23 PM

    Without help from the Texas Medical Association’s Physician Benevolent Fund, Marie Haeffner-Reeves believes she and her husband wouldn’t have had the resources to rise above the financial difficulties that became unmanageable after he experienced hea...

  • iconWhat You Need to Know About the Texas MOC Law - 8/23/2023 8:21:40 PM

    You may have heard that the Texas Legislature, with strong backing from the Texas Medical Association, passed a tough new law that protects physicians from being forced to undergo maintenance of certification (MOC). But you may be wondering, what do...

  • iconHelp for You to Master the ABCs of QPP, MIPS, MACRA - 8/21/2023 8:24:03 PM

    Fall is right around the corner. Crazy, isn’t it? This year has practically flown by. So as 2017 is starting to wind down, are you any more familiar with MACRA, QPP, MIPS, and APMs than you were in January? (If you had to look up those acronyms, the...

  • iconPatient Care Protected: Women's Reproductive Health - 8/14/2023 2:27:15 PM

    Related content: 2023 Legislative Wrap-Up: TMA Secured Big Wins With a New Strategy TMA Priority: Get clarity for physicians on how they can safely treat pregnant women while protecting the patient-physician relationship. Physician-Led Results: Phy...

  • iconCOVID-19: Telemedicine - 7/20/2023 8:36:06 PM

      Go to the COVID-19 Resource Center.   FAQs and "How-to's" Telemedicine: What You Need To Know for COVID-19 and Beyond Telemedicine: Getting Started – TMA “how-to” guide   Legal Texas Laws and Regulations Relating to Tele...

  • iconGetting Started in Texas - 7/20/2023 7:21:54 PM

    Welcome to Texas! As the saying goes, everything is bigger and better in Texas. And that holds true for the Texas Medical Association. More than 53,000 physicians and medical students have chosen to be members of TMA. That many of your col...

  • iconGetting Right to Work: Canvassing Votes and Setting Rules — Hotline Jan. 10 - 7/17/2023 4:47:54 PM

    UNDER THE ROTUNDA The House and Senate convened a joint session today to canvass the votes from the November general election for governor and lieutenant governor. All members are now officially elected to office, save for the three vacant House sea...

  • iconTexas Physicians Push to Improve Health Care for LGBTQ Patients - 6/28/2023 11:37:49 PM

    September 3, 2019 The bottom line: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) patients face unique barriers that put them at greater risk for mental and physical health problems. Often, their health disparities result from a l...

  • iconTelevision Rules and Instructions - Anson Jones Awards - 6/28/2023 9:04:30 PM

    Each year, TMA honors award-winning Texas general-interest news media with the Anson Jones, MD, Awards. Winners receive $1,000 and a plaque. Citation of Merit winners receive $250 and a certificate. The competition is free to enter, so Texas tel...

  • iconPhysician-Led Results: Women’s Reproductive Health - 6/28/2023 3:17:04 PM

    Goal: Get clarity for physicians on how they can safely treat pregnant women while protecting the patient-physician relationship.    Recap: Physicians entered the 2023 legislative session with heavy concerns over and difficulties in interp...

  • iconHard Hats for Little Heads: TMA’s Helmet Giveaway Saves Lives - 6/14/2023 10:27:02 PM

    In 1993, a near tragedy showed San Angelo pain specialist Larry Driver, MD, a really great way to help people.    “A neighbor child was riding her bicycle and hit her head on the curb and suffered a concussion,” he told Texas Medi...

  • iconTMA Awards Highest Honor to Two Physicians: “This is Why Organized Medicine Is So Important” - 5/27/2023 3:59:28 AM

    The Texas Medical Association typically recognizes one physician each year with the Distinguished Service Award – it’s highest honor. But this year, two champions of organized medicine received the award at TexMed 2023 in Fort Worth: TMA past Preside...

  • iconHelp TMA Fight Independent Practice For APRNs - 5/2/2023 10:10:14 PM

    Just as they do every time the Texas Legislature meets, allied health practitioners are trying to convince lawmakers they can do what physicians do – without having to go to medical school first. In the opening weeks of the 2019 legislative session,...

  • iconFri 1100a 202A Transgender RC REVISED words to know 1019 - 4/28/2023 10:02:25 PM

  • iconMedication-Assisted Treatment for Opioids, Alcohol, Tobacco: What You Should Know - 4/19/2023 3:23:10 PM

    Concern about opioids – especially the growing threat of overdose posed by illicit fentanyl – has created heightened awareness about treatment options for people with substance use disorders. One of the oldest and most effective is medication-assiste...

  • iconGet to Know the TMA Board of Trustees - 4/3/2023 3:50:09 PM

    At-Large Members G. Ray Callas, MD, Chair (Beaumont)Keith A. Bourgeois, MD, Vice Chair (Houston)John T. Carlo, MD (Dallas)Lisa L. Ehrlich, MD (Houston)Cynthia A. Jumper, MD (Lubbock)Kimberly E. Monday, MD (Hou...

  • iconStop Maternal Deaths: Texas Report Reinforces TMA Legislative Priorities - 3/10/2023 12:45:44 AM

    The latest biennial survey of maternal death and illness shows why the Texas Medical Association made improving maternal health one of its top priorities for the current state legislative session.     The report found that Texas ...

  • iconLobbying Tips - 2/27/2023 10:00:10 PM

    The involvement of physicians, medical students and alliance members is critical to the success of TMA's grassroots lobbying efforts.  A vital asset to TMA's professional lobbying team, only you can give your state legislators the mos...

  • iconTMA Board of Councilors Current Opinions - 2/25/2023 10:59:46 PM

    TMA Board of Councilors Current Opinions INTRODUCTION The Board of Councilors serves as the ethical policy making body of the Texas Medical Association. First constituted in 1903, the Board is composed of a Councilor and Vice Councilor from the 15 ...

  • iconHow Is Technology Impacting Your Practice? TMA Wants to Know - 2/22/2023 9:04:49 PM

    The Texas Medical Association has conducted numerous health information technology (HIT) surveys over the years to help guide TMA advocacy and develop physician resources. Here’s your chance again to tell TMA how technology is impacting your practice...

  • iconTell Congress to Oppose Surprise Bill Compromise - 2/10/2023 6:33:05 PM

    If you see patients, if you take private insurance, you need to know that Congress is about to let Big Insurance set your fee schedule even lower than it is now... if they let you into their ever-narrowing networks. The Texas Medical Association st...

  • iconCongress Needs to Get This Right - 2/10/2023 6:29:17 PM

    The Texas Medical Association, with our nearly 53,000 physician and medical student members, was very pleased to see the Ways and Means Committee weigh in on the debate over surprise medical billing legislation.  While the details are yet to co...

  • iconTake Patients Out of the Middle of Balance Billing – The Right Way - 2/9/2023 12:10:22 AM

    TMA Testimony by Ray Callas, MD House Insurance CommitteeHouse Bill 3933 by Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer  March 26 2019 Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee members, for allowing me to testify today. My name is Dr. Ray Callas, and I am an anes...

  • iconMany Adults Don’t Know They Should Get COVID Booster, CDC Survey Says - 1/31/2023 7:54:33 PM

    A lot of U.S. adults aren’t getting the COVID-19 bivalent booster, and a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) helps explain why: Most likely, they don’t know about it, don’t know they’re eligible for it, or don’t...

  • iconLegislative Priority #10: E-Cigarette Regulation and Taxation - 1/6/2023 2:31:38 AM

    Related Content:2023 Legislative Preview: TMA's Top 10 Priorities Goal: Create an excise tax to deter youth buying e-cigarettes and use the funding to increase vaping prevention and cessation programs. Impact: Tobacco is another area in which th...

  • iconLegislative Priority #4: Medicaid Coverage for Women and Children - 1/6/2023 2:29:10 AM

    Related Content:2023 Legislative Preview: TMA's Top 10 Priorities Goal: Pursue more comprehensive coverage of and secure additional funding and resources for maternal and behavioral/mental health care for women and children  Impact: Medicaid expan...

  • iconWhat Physicians Need to Know About Texas Organ Donation One Page STTr - 12/1/2022 10:03:18 PM

  • iconCOVID-19 Now a Major Cause of Maternal Death, GAO Report Says - 11/1/2022 3:34:59 PM

    An analysis by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides the first glimpse into the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women, and – not surprisingly – the disease has become a leading cause of death among them, says Houston obstetrician-gy...

  • iconHow to Cut Operational Costs? TMA Experts Have Answers - 10/21/2022 4:10:03 PM

    The cost-conscious physician trying to cut expenses can start by looking around the office. Very often, resources such as patient portals are not being used efficiently; changing that can save a lot of staff time and money, says Heather Bettridge, ...

  • iconInformed Consent - 10/7/2022 4:21:55 PM

    TMA Office of the General CounselApril 2018  Basic Concept and Origin   Texas Legislature Provides Guidance   Proper Disclosure of Risk Creates Legal Presumptions Favoring Physicians   Particular Form for Hysterectomies ...

  • iconStrength in Numbers: Women Physicians Seek to Change the Culture of Medicine - 9/22/2022 4:53:08 PM

    When Tina Philip, DO, joined the Texas Medical Association as a medical student in the early 2000s, she was outnumbered. Women made up less than 25% of TMA’s ranks at the time, and she was one of few women serving on the association’s Committee on Me...

  • iconSponsored Content: Get Group PPO Health Insurance – Without Employees - 8/23/2022 9:56:26 PM

    You know that if you’re an independent practice owner with employed staff, group PPO health insurance is an option for you. But what if for you, practicing as an independent physician means you are truly independent, with no employees?   H...

  • iconCountering Controversy: How to Have Difficult Conversations with Patients - 7/29/2022 11:17:53 PM

    Physicians frequently start uncomfortable discussions in the exam room about topics that patients would rather not discuss – topics like vaccinations, firearm safety, religious objections to medical treatments, and concerns about discrimination. ...

  • iconMaking a Comeback: Texas Leads the Nation in Congenital Syphilis - 7/29/2022 11:17:11 PM

    Congenital syphilis is one of those antique health care horrors, like smallpox, that’s right out of a Victorian medical book.    “It’s catastrophic for the baby because it can cause birth defects and significant abnormalities,” said San...

  • iconTen Years Later: TMA Advocacy Nets Investments in Women’s Health - 7/27/2022 2:42:31 PM

    A decade ago, the Texas Legislature made a funding decision that devastated low-income women’s access to health care and the physicians and community clinics that care for them.  In crafting the final budget for 2012-13, the 2011 legislatu...

  • iconTexas’ Expanded Medical Cannabis Program: What You Need to Know - 7/19/2022 5:18:58 PM

    Legal uses for medical cannabis in Texas have reached an all-time high. Soaring even higher is interest in the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) under which physicians can prescribe it. Since the Texas Legislature paved the way for the fir...