Coronavirus

New Law Prohibits Employer COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates, With Exceptions - 11/15/2023

Thanks to advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, guardrails for patient safety and practice viability are included in a new state law that prohibits employers, including physician offices and health care facilities, from mandating COVID-19 vaccines among employees.

FDA Approves New RSV Vaccine, COVID-19 Booster - 10/19/2023

Physicians will have a new vaccine in their arsenal to help protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a timely development as cold, flu, and COVID-19 illnesses tend to converge and ramp up this time of year and become difficult to differentiate.

Leading in Crisis: Diana L. Fite, MD, Carried TMA During COVID-19 Pandemic - 10/03/2023

Diana L. Fite, MD, carried TMA during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Urge Texans to Get Flu Vaccine Early, Officials Say - 09/06/2023

With flu season on the horizon – and the COVID-19 pandemic expected to continue – Texas physicians should strongly encourage patients to receive a flu vaccination as early as possible.

Talk to Patients About: Breakthrough Infections for COVID-19 Vaccinations - 09/06/2023

 The new mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 are highly effective at giving people immunity against the disease. But as with all other vaccines, that immunity is not 100% for everyone who receives them.  

Tune in Saturday to Watch TMA’s 155th President Take Office - 08/31/2023

Although TexMed 2020 has been canceled, and the Texas Medical Association House of Delegates meeting has been suspended, Diana L. Fite, MD, still will take office as TMA’s 155th president Saturday. Visit TMA’s Facebook page at noon Saturday to watch a live broadcast of her installation and address.

TMA Suspends 2020 House of Delegates Meeting - 08/31/2023

Because of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Medical Association Board of Trustees has voted to suspend the 2020 TMA House of Delegates meeting, either virtual or in-person, until an appropriate time in the future when the crisis has subsided.

Report: Most Private Payers Have Stopped COVID Cost-Sharing Waivers - 08/21/2023

Private health insurance plans have largely stopped waiving patient cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment, according to a recent report by the Peterson Center on Healthcare and Kaiser Family Foundation. The data represent an overwhelming shift from payer cost-sharing policies during 2020 as indicated by previous research.

COVID-19: Telemedicine - 07/20/2023

View COVID-19 resources related to Telemedicine.

Public Health Emergency’s End Would Kickstart Medicaid Eligibility Re-Checks. Here’s How to Prepare - 07/17/2023

After strong advocacy by the American Medical Association and other organizations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services appears poised to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency for a 10th time.

UPDATE: Feds Poised to Extend COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Through Spring 2023 - 07/17/2023

After continued advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, American Medical Association, and other organizations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seems likely to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency  for an 11th time.

Novavax COVID Vaccine Available to Help Reach Patients Hesitant About mRNA Vaccines - 07/17/2023

The recently introduced COVID-19 vaccine Novavax gives physicians another tool for combating the disease, and it enjoys two important differences from previous vaccines that are potential advantages, says San Antonio infectious disease specialist Charles Lerner, MD, a member of the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force.

PHE End Brings Changes for Telehealth, Billing, and Medicaid - 06/26/2023

The federal public health emergency related to COVID-19 will end May 11 – and with it, several flexibilities related to telehealth coverage, virtual physician supervision of nonphysician practitioners, and Medicaid enrollment for nearly 3 million Texans.

The Unwinding: What the End of the PHE Means for Telehealth - 05/09/2023

Throughout the pandemic, state and federal governments relaxed regulatory and payment barriers to health care by telemedicine. That includes paying for telemedicine visits at the same rate as in-person visits; allowing the use of non-HIPAA-compliant platforms; and removing so-called geographic site restrictions that would normally require a patient to be seen in the office. In 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced a new set of telehealth billing codes, particularly for behavioral health.

Telemedicine Billing, Coverage to Change with PHE End: Here’s How - 05/09/2023

The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11 will kick off a series of changes to telehealth coverage and billing as physicians have known them for the past several years. Texas Medical Association experts were at the ready to prepare and educate physicians on the transition during a recent Ask the Expert event.

Help Patients Find Outpatient Remdesivir with HHS Locator - 04/04/2023

Physicians who provide Veklury (remdesivir) for outpatient use can improve patient access to the COVID-19 therapeutic by volunteering their contact information to a Department of Health and Human Services directory.

Free Live Webinar: Medicaid Unwinding 101 – How to Prepare Your Practice and Your Patients - 03/16/2023

After more than three years and 11 extensions, the COVID-19 public health emergency will expire May 11. More pressingly, Texas will begin “unwinding” Medicaid continuous eligibility for the more than 2.5 million residents who benefited from such coverage thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funding.

TMA Moment In Time: Pandemic Response - 03/01/2023

The strength of organized medicine carried TMA and Texas physicians through an unprecedented public health crisis and beyond.

The Unwinding: What the End of the COVID PHE Means for Continuous Medicaid Coverage - 02/24/2023

After nearly three years and 11 extensions, the federal public health emergency related to COVID-19 is poised to end this spring, and with it, continuous Medicaid coverage for more than 2.5 million Texans.

Feds to End COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in Mid-May - 02/07/2023

After nearly three years and 11 extensions, the Biden administration recently announced the COVID-19 public health emergency will finally expire May 11, fulfilling its commitment to give states at least 60 days’ notice of its expiration.

The Unwinding: What the End of the PHE Means for COVID Vaccines, Testing, and Treatments - 02/01/2023

The COVID-19 crisis spurred an unprecedented combination of public health initiatives and funding, much of it made possible by the public health emergency (PHE) declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in January 2020. When the PHE expires, what will happen to crucial vaccines, testing, and treatments?

Order Multiple COVID Vaccine Categories in New VAOS Process - 01/31/2023

A new process in the state Vaccine Allocation and Ordering System (VAOS) will significantly reduce the amount of data entry required from physician practices when ordering COVID-19 vaccines.

Many Adults Don’t Know They Should Get COVID Booster, CDC Survey Says - 01/31/2023

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 think they need it.

As Flu and RSV Drop Omicron Subvariant Poses Unknown Threat - 01/18/2023

A flu and respiratory syncytial virus season that began early and intensely already may have peaked, but other illnesses, including the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant of the COVID-19 virus, remain threats.

Challenge of a Lifetime: Jennifer Shuford, MD, Helped Lead Texas Through the COVID-19 Pandemic - 01/17/2023

Chief State Epidemiologist Jennifer Shuford, MD, found innovative ways to lead Texas through the COVID-19 emergency.