TMA staff includes expert coders, reimbursement specialists, and other certified professionals who provide everything from hands-on practice consulting services, to personalized reimbursement assistance for your payment problems.
TMA’s practice viability experts have organized the information you may need to successfully reopen your practice in one resource. From evaluating staffing levels and managing patient appointments, to ensuring patient safety and communicating regularly with patients and staff, this guide will provide the information practices need to more confidently head in the right direction.
To help physicians successfully navigate the effects of the outbreak, and to support the viability of all medical practices, TMA has developed several resources on managing practice cash flows, HR/staffing, billing and reimbursement, and other business of medicine concerns. Resources will be updated regularly, and access will remain unrestricted for the duration of the pandemic.
COVID-19 Resource Center
FAQs and How-To
What to Do If a Staff Member or Patient Tests Positive
COVID-19: Practice Management Considerations
Practical Answers to COVID-19 Questions for Your Practice
COVID-19 Quick How-To Testing Guide for Outpatient Clinics
COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control for Outpatient Clinics Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Physicians and Health Care Workers Need to Know about Stay-at-Home Orders
PPE
What is This “TMA PPE Portal?”
Help TMA Get PPE to Your Practice
Can You Hear Me Now? Communicating Across the COVID-19 PPE Chasm
Practice Staff
Tips and Strategies for Managing Remote Staff
Need Help Managing Staff Issues During COVID-19?
Ways to Keep Your Staff Productive When Patient Visits Have Declined
Here’s What You Need to Know About Managing Staff During COVID-19
Practice Resources
Chart Provides Steps For Patients Who’ve Been Exposed to COVID-19
Give This COVID-19 Symptom Tracker to Your Patients
Use This Permission Letter to Excuse COVID-19 Patients from Work or School
Hang This Sign on Your Door to Keep Patients and Staff Safe
Dedicated Cellular Network Open to Physicians Responding to COVID-19
Legal
New Coronavirus Law Mandates Paid Leave for Certain Employees (Vinson & Elkins March 19, 2020)
Insurance
Covered for COVID? Business Interruption Insurance Could Come in Handy
Telemedicine: What You Need To Know for COVID-19 and Beyond
Telemedicine: Getting Started – TMA “how-to” guide
Texas Laws and Regulations Relating to Telemedicine – White paper
Telemedicine Vendor Selection
Telemedicine Vendor Options View a list of telemedicine vendors and their product information
Telemedicine Evaluation CriteriaTMA created this evaluation tool to help Texas physicians with criteria to consider in the selection of telemedicine vendor products.
Policies, Procedures and Forms
Telemedicine Policies, Procedures and Forms
Payment
Payer's Coronavirus Changes and Waivers
Insurance Payments for Telemedicine Visits Extended to September
Which Plans Pay for Telemedicine Services – and for How Long?
Audio-Only Telehealth: Who Submits Corrected Claims?
Texas Medicaid, CHIP Extend Telemedicine Changes Through June
Texas Medicaid Will Pay for Well-Child Visits Via Telemedicine in May
Charts Point You in the Right Direction When Coding for Telemedicine
Payer Policies for Telemedicine Services
Prescribing
How to Prescribe Controlled Substances Via Telemedicine Under COVID-19 Waivers
Telemedicine and Patients
Help Your Patients Help You with Telemedicine
Let Your Patients Know You Use Telemedicine
Are You Ready for Telemedicine Prime Time?
Remote Patient Monitoring
Safely Incorporate Remote Patient Monitoring Into Your Practice
Want to Add Remote Patient Monitoring to Your Telemedicine Services?
Policies
How Health Plans Are Covering COVID-19 Testing and Treatment
Confused by Each Payer’s COVID-19 Policies? TMA is Here to Help
A Quick Guide to Each Payer’s Coronavirus Changes and Waivers
Individual and Small Group Market Insurance Coverage (CMS 3/5/2020)
Medicare Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19 (CMS 3/5/2020)
CMS Offers More Flexibility, Financial Stability for COVID-19 Care
Medicaid and CHIP Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19 (CMS 3/5/2020)
Feds Approve Texas’ Request for COVID-19 Medicaid Waiver
Claims
Payers Extend Claims Filing Deadlines
Prior Authorization
Payers Extend Prior Authorization Windows During COVID-19
Credentialing
Payers Ease Credentialing During COVID-19
Telemedicine
Telephone-Only Consultation Coverage and Payment Vary
Workers' Comp
Workers’ Comp COVID-19 Claims Require Work-Related Connection, Officials Say
AMA Creates CPT Code for Coronavirus Test
New CPT Code Is “Industry Standard” for COVID-19 Antigen Testing
Federal Funds to Be Available for Treating, Testing Uninsured COVID-19 Patients
Use “Time, MDM” for Medicare Telehealth Coding
ICD-10-CM Official Coding and Reporting Guidelines on COVID-19 April 1, 2020 - September 30, 2020 (CDC)
Comptroller Postpones Taxing Medical Billing Services Until 2021
FAQs and How-To's
This Can Help Your Practice Cut Costs During COVID-19
Use This Guide to Take the Right Steps for Your Practice’s Finances
Everything You Need to Make the Best Decisions for Your Practice’s Finances
Your Financial Defense in the War Against COVID-19
Concerned About Your Practice’s Finances? TMA Has Answers
Financial Assistance
Deadline Extended to Apply for Federal Paycheck Loans
Feds Attempt to Clear Up June 3 Emergency Fund Deadline
Has Your Practice Taken a Big Revenue Hit?
More Federal Funds Available, But Not For All Texas Physicians
Governor Announces New Small-Business Loans During Pandemic
Emergency COVID-19 Funds Portal Now Open; Big Questions Remain
Financing Options to Help Keep Your Practice Afloat
Physicians Receiving Emergency Federal Funds Tied to COVID-19
Estimate How Much Financial Assistance Your Practice Might Need
Questions to Ask Financial Lenders
Federal Loans Available to Help Your Practice During Disaster
Taxes
Some Federal Emergency Funds to be Taxed
Reporting Requirements
What COVID-19 Information Are You Required to Report to the State?
Patient and Practice Safety
Governor Removes Jail Time as Penalty for Violating COVID-19 Order
TMB Requires Physicians to Follow Minimum COVID-19 Safety Standards
Licensure
TMB to Extend Expiring Medical Licenses to Aug. 31
HIPAA
HIPAA Privacy and Novel Coronavirus (HHSC)
OSHA
Key OSHA Standards for COVID-19 (US Dept of Labor)
Will doctors be able to keep their practices open during the worst pandemic in our lifetime? Our country needs every available doctor in the country to fight the challenges of COVID-19. Doctors working in independent practices face an immediate cash flow crisis threatening their ability to continue services.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) will begin to move more quickly from state-managed warehouses to Texas county medical societies and on to private practice, community care physicians. Now, TMA has opened a PPE Portal for practices to submit their PPE needs.
The delays are done. March 2020 has passed, and by law, physicians now must check PMP Aware – the state’s prescription monitoring program (PMP) – before issuing any opioid, benzodiazepine, barbiturate, or carisoprodol prescription.
Recent questions about Practice Help Compliance issues:
Ask your question now
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.
View COVID-19 Webinars and Education Resources
Thanks to a generous sponsorship from Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust, dozens of CME courses in the TMA Education Center are now FREE for members. Find a wide variety of practice help courses today.
Get CME Now
Got Practice Help questions? Call or email the Knowledge Center.
Whether you’re just starting out, joining an established group, or need help growing your practice, tap into TMA education and professional development programs to learn about everything from medical records management to marketing. No matter how you choose to practice, be sure to access free TMA resources for personal and professional growth.
See What TMA Has To Offer