Practice Help

The new state mandate for physicians to use Texas’ prescription monitoring program (PMP) is part of the state’s overall response to the opioid epidemic, Michael Mackert, PhD, director of the Center for Health Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, told physicians.

The data submission period for Medicare’s 2019 Quality Payment Program (QPP) is under way and closes on March 31. If you haven’t started the process, now is the time to ensure your data for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is in order and submit it in time to make corrections by the deadline, if needed.

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.

Telemedicine use has grown considerably in the past few years, helped in part by TMA-backed legislation that established a framework for telemedicine in Texas and established coverage requirements. But whether you’re currently using telemedicine or are interested in incorporating it into your practice, you’ve probably got a few questions. TMA has answers.

Some of your employees may have become newly eligible for overtime pay on Jan. 1.
The U.S. Department of Labor has increased the minimum salary for exempt employees to $684 per week – $35,568 annually – from the previous level of $455 per week ($23,660 annually). Any employee earning less than $684 per week is automatically nonexempt and thus eligible for overtime pay. 

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.

In a medical practice, physicians, administrators, managers, and other staff may all be responsible for maintaining compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. The Texas Medical Association offers several resources, tools, and even discounts on compliance services to help keep your practice compliant.