Compliance

Vaccine Mandate

Biden Vaccine Mandate Plan Mostly Excludes Small Medical Practices

Reporting Requirements

What COVID-19 Information Are You Required to Report to the State?

Patient and Practice Safety

TMB No Longer Requiring Practices to Follow COVID-19 Safe-Practice Standards

Updated Nursing Home Guidance Allows for Most Indoor Visits

HIPAA

HIPAA Privacy and Novel Coronavirus (HHSC)

OSHA

Key OSHA Standards for COVID-19 (US Dept of Labor) 

Minimize the risk your medical practice faces by establishing or maintaining an effective compliance program for HIPAA and coding and documentation practices.

Start now and gain the knowledge needed to achieve compliance. View all of the compliance courses available on the TMA Education Center.

This updated resource is specific to Texas law and contains 550+ editable pages with 80+ template forms. Highlights include sections on Telehealth, Clinical Care and the CURES Act, as well as a 200-page HIPAA guide and inclusive language.

Effective April 5, all practices must comply with the information-blocking regulations that are part of the federal 21st Century Cures Act, which is designed to facilitate widespread access and sharing of health information among patients and physicians.

In response to questions raised by physicians around the state, the Texas Medical Association Office of General Counsel and the TMA COVID-19 Task Force have drafted a new white paper and a letter addressing physicians’ legal and ethical responsibilities to patients. 

The “Legal Pitfalls of Patient Termination” white paper is a detailed document that physicians may find useful in numerous situations.

The federal requirements have not changed, but starting Jan. 1, breach notification requirements became even more stringent for Texas physicians or medical entities. The Texas Legislature dropped the threshold for breach reporting from 500 patients to 250. House Bill 4390 also requires medical entities to report breaches to the Texas attorney general’s office within 60 days of the breach.

Federal anti-kickback law has changed, and it’s gotten broader.

As a result, you may need to re-examine your practice’s compensation arrangements. That includes payments for laboratory referrals.