87th Texas Legislature Letters and Testimonies

2021 Texas Legislature Letters and Testimonies

TMA physician leaders are already working tirelessly on behalf of their profession and their patients to improve Texas health care system. During this legislative session, TMA councils and committees are laser-focused on promoting health care policies to ensure Texas patients have access to affordable and high quality health care. Here are TMA’s testimonies, comments, and letters to state lawmakers.

Check back frequently as testimony will be posted when it's delivered to the legislature.

Here's a look back at testimony from the 2019 legislative session.

Aging/End-of-Life Care

Health Care Must Be Therapeutically Beneficial
(Testimony on SB 917 by Mark Casanova, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, April 7, 2021)

Honoring Patient Wishes at End of Life
(Testimony on SB 1944 by Mark Casanova, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, April 7, 2021)

Safeguarding Long-Term Care Facility Residents
(Written Interim Comments on COVID-19 in LTCFs, Sept. 25, 2020)

Border Health

Budget

Texas Must Fund DSHS' Initiatives
(Testimony by Jason V. Terk, MD, House Appropriations Committee, Article II, March 3, 2021)

Ensure HHSC Can Provide Access to Critical Services
(Testimony by Emily Briggs, MD, House Appropriations Committee, Article II, March 1, 2021)

Invest Now in Dept. of State Health Services
(Written Testimony by TMA and and Texas Public Health Coalition, Feb. 26, 2021)

Corporate Practice of Medicine

Graduate Medical Education/Workforce

Continue Building Texas Physician_Workforce
(Written Testimony by TMA, Senate Finance Committee, Feb. 23, 2021)

Support the Physician Workforce Pipeline
(Written Testimony by TMA, House Appropriations Committee, Article III, March 3, 2021)

Texas Must Continue to Invest in GME
(Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, Article III, Sept. 30, 2020)

Health Information Technology

Health Insurance

Health Plans Must Cover Patients in Emergencies
(Testimony on HB 2241 by Diana Fite, MD, House Insurance Committee, April 6, 2021)

Prohibit Health Plan Retaliation Against Physicians
(Testimony on HB 2929 by Zeke Silva, MD, House Insurance Committee, April 6, 2021)

Improve Health Care Cost Transparency With Data
(Written Testimony on HB 1907 by TMA, House Insurance Committee, April 6, 2021)

Prohibit Prior Authorization of State-Mandated Benefits
(Testimony on HB 410 by Debra Patt, MD, House Insurance Committee, March 9, 2021)

Waive Budget Neutrality Requirements for a Year
(Interim Written Comments on HR 8505, Oct. 26, 2020)

Driving Down the Cost of Health Care in Texas
(Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, Select Committee on Statewide Health Care Costs, Oct. 1, 2020)

Drug Price Transparency, Balance Billing, and Coverage
(Written Comments on Interim Charge 1 House Committee on Insurance, Sept. 8, 2020)

Liability

Limiting Discovery Allows Physicians to Focus on Care
(Written Testimony on HB 1617 by TMA, House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee, April 6, 2021)

Protecting Physicians from Litigant Crossfire
(Written Testimony on SB 207 by TMA, Senate Committee on State Affairs, March 29, 2021)

Protecting Professionals Acting in Good Faith
(Testimony on HB 3 by Debra Patt, MD ,House State Affairs Committee, March 11, 2021)

Medicaid and CHIP

Cover Children All Year
(Testimony on HB 290 by Lindy McGee, MD, House Human Services Committee, March 30, 2021)

Postpartum Care is Critical for New Moms
(Testimony on HB 133 by Lisa Hollier, MD, House Human Services Committee, March 23, 2021)

Improving MCO Transparency, Accountability, and Effectiveness
(Written Testimony by TMA, House Appropriations Committee, Article II, March 4, 2021)

Improve Access to Care by Improving Medicaid Rates
(Written Testimony by TMA, Senate Finance Committee, Feb. 26, 2021)

Texas Must Provide Meaningful Coverage to All Texans
(Written Testimony by TMA, Senate Finance Committee, Feb. 26, 2021)

Moms and Babies Need Comprehensive Health Care Coverage 
(Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, House Public Health Committee, Oct. 16, 2020)

 Let's Work Together to Strengthen Rural Health
(Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, House Committee on Public Health, Oct. 16, 2020)

Renew and Strengthen Texas' Medicaid 1115 Waivers  
(Written Comments on Interim Charge 2, Article II: Review how Texas is preparing for state and federal budgetary changes that impact the state's health programs, including: the Family First Prevention Services Act; the next phase of the 1115 Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Waiver; Texas’ Targeted Opioid Response Grant; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability rule, and the Healthy Texas Women Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver. Interim - Sept. 30, 2020)

Support Early Childhood Brain Development with an Enhanced ECI Program
(Written comments on the Charge No. 5 request for information: Examine state investments in the health and brain development of babies and toddlers, including Early Childhood Intervention and other early childhood programs for children in the first three years. Evaluate opportunities to boost child outcomes and achieve longer-term savings today on the vital importance of the ECI program for some of Texas’ most at-risk and vulnerable infants and toddlers. A Child’s. Interim - Sept. 30, 2020)

Public Health

Stopping the Spread of Infectious Disease
(Testimony on SB 1313 by John Carlo, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 31, 2021)

Visiting Patients During a Public Health Emergency
(Testimony on SB 1195 by Debra Patt, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 31, 2021)

Improving Texas' Public Health Response
(Testimony on SB 968 by John Carlo, MD,Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 31, 2021)

Data and Reporting are Critical in a Pandemic
(Testimony on SB 969 by John Carlo, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 31, 2021)

Ensuring the Heart Health and Safety of Student Athletes
(Written Testimony on HB 2605 by TMA, House Committee on Education, March 30, 2021)

Protect Students From Hazing
(Written Testimony on SB 36 by TMA, Senate Criminal Justice Committee, March 30, 2021)

Patients Need Safe Caregiver Visits
(Testimony on HB 2211 by Debra Patt, MD, House Public Health Committee, March 24, 2021)

Improving Transparency of School Health Advisory Councils
(Testimony on SB 347 by Debra Patt, MD, Senate Business and Commerce Committee, March 23, 2021)

Public Health Departments Need Flexibility and Authority in a Disaster
(Written Testimony on SB 967 by TPHC, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 23, 2021)

Protecting the Public Health in a Disaster
(Written Testimony on SB 966 by TPHC, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 23, 2021)

Participating in School Health Advisory Councils
(Testimony on SB 442 by Debra Patt, MD, Senate Education Committee, March 18, 2021)

Alerting Next of Kin When Death Certificates are Amended
(Written Testimony on HB 723 by Debra Patt, MD, House Public Health Committee, March 17, 2021)

Help Keep Long Term Care Residents Healthy and Safe
(Testimony by Hattie Henderson, MD, House Human Services Committee, March 9, 2021)

Allowing Safe Visits to Long Term Care Residents
(Testimony by Debra Patt, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 10, 2021)

Safeguarding Long-Term Care Facility Residents 
(Written Interim Comments on COVID-19 in LTCFs, Sept. 25, 2020)

Strengthen Texas' Public Health Capabilities 
(Interim Charge I, implementation of new funding and full-time equivalent positions for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vital 2 Statistics Unit; and implementation of DSHS Rider 29; evaluate the capacity of immunization programs to prevent, reduce, and eliminate vaccine preventable diseases in adults and children. Interim Written comments,Sept. 30, 2020)

 Child Abuse and Neglect 

Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect
(Written Testimony on HB 3379 by TMA, House Human Services Committee, March 30, 2021)

Keeping Children Safe Through MedCARES
(Testimony by Kimberly Avila Edwards, MD, House Appropriations Committee, Article II, March 3, 2021)

Fund Important Child Abuse Protections
(Testimony by James Lukefahr, MD, Senate Finance Committee, Feb. 26, 2021)

 COVID-19 

Physicians Detail Challenges Presented by COVID-19
(Testimony by Debra Patt, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 10, 2021)

 Gun Control 

Designate June as Gun Violence Awareness Month
(Testimony on HB 909 by Thomas Kim, MD House Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Committee, March 15, 2021)

Prevent Firearm Accidents and Suicide With Safe Storage
(Written Testimony by TMA, House Appropriations Committee, Article V, March 4, 2021

Improve Public Awareness of Firearm Safety
(Written Testimony by TMA, Senate Finance Committee, Article V, March 3, 2021)

 Immunization

Vaccines Are Safe for Patients
(Testimony on SB 1310 by Marjan Linnell, MD, Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 31, 2021)

 Maternal Health 

Postpartum Care is Critical for New Moms
(Testimony on HB 133 by Lisa Hollier, MD, House Human Services Committee, March 23, 2021)

Don't Intrude on the Patient-Physician Relationship
(Written Testimony on SB 1647 by TMA, March 15, 2021)

Moms and Babies Need Comprehensive Health Care Coverage 
(Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, House Public Health Committee, Oct. 16, 2020)

 Mental Health

 Tobacco and Vaping 

Regulate Vaping to Protect Children from Nicotine
(Testimony on SB 248 by Lindy McGee, MD, Senate Finance Committee, March 30, 2021)

Fund State Smoking Cessation Efforts
(Written Testimony by TMA, Senate Finance Committee, Feb. 23, 2021)

Scope of Practice

There Is No Shortcut to Becoming a Surgeon
(Testimony on HB 2340 by Diana Fite, MD, House Public Health Committee, March 31, 2021)

Taxes

Don't Tax Medical Billing Services
(Testimony on HB 1445 by Yassir Zeid, MD, House Ways and Means Committee, March 15, 2021)

TMB