Coronavirus

Let Your Patients Know You Use Telemedicine - 06/14/2021

To make telemedicine more available, many state and federal rules and regulations regarding telehealth have changed temporarily during the COVID-19 public health emergency, including payments for certain types of visits. That’s all good news if you or your practice is struggling financially because of decreased in-person patient visits. But it doesn’t mean much if your patients don’t know about it.

“Doctor, Will the Vaccines Give Me COVID-19?” - 06/11/2021

Are you getting frequently asked questions from patients about the COVID-19 vaccines? The Texas Medical Association has created a series of shareable social media graphics to help you answer those questions .

Confused About Face Covering Guidance? Read the New TMA FAQ - 06/11/2021

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are coursing through millions of bloodstreams, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has relaxed some of its recommendations on masking, it might be difficult for you to keep track of the current state of face coverings – and how it affects your practice.

TMB No Longer Requiring Practices to Follow COVID-19 Safe-Practice Standards - 06/11/2021

The Texas Medical Board’s (TMB) minimum safe-practice standards are no longer in place, the Texas Medical Association has learned. However, TMB recommends practices continue to follow federal guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19: Practice Operations - 06/09/2021

View COVID-19 resources related to practice operations.

Get Paid for COVID-19 Vaccination Costs Not Covered by Insurance Under New HHS Program - 06/08/2021

Since physicians cannot bill patients for COVID-19 vaccine administration, a new federal program aims to fill in the gaps by covering the outstanding costs not covered by health insurance plans.

COVID-19: Payers / Insurance - 06/07/2021

Get COVID-19 resource related to payers / insurance.

Medicare Recouping COVID-19 Loans - 06/04/2021

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently began automatic recoupment of advance payments it made to practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency announced.

CDC Follows Up on Rare COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effect, Urges Continued Vaccination - 06/01/2021

Since April, some mRNA COVID-19 vaccine recipients have experienced heart inflammation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated this news last week by disclosing that mostly adolescents and young adults have been affected.

Behavioral Health in the Wake of COVID-19 and the Health Care Community’s Response - 05/27/2021

The pandemic highlighted the need to revitalize the infrastructure of our public health system and to protect it from political influence at all levels. The trauma inflicted by the pandemic has touched all of us. Many have lost family members or friends. Other stresses include loss of employment, insurance coverage, housing, and access to healthcare.

COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Extended; Telemedicine, Other Waivers Extended - 05/27/2021

The national public health emergency related to COVID-19 has been extended to July 20 and likely will be extended throughout 2021, the federal Health and Human Services (HHS) Department has announced.

Physicians Can Now Order COVID-19 Vaccines in Any Lot Size They Need - 05/19/2021

Until recently, physicians looking to administer COVID-19 vaccines ran into a big roadblock: Many had to place orders so large their practices couldn’t use all the doses.

Hotez at TexMed: Good News On COVID-19, A Warning on Antivaccine Efforts - 05/18/2021

One of Texas’ top vaccine experts opened the TexMed 2021 General Session with mostly good news about the impact of COVID-19 vaccines, but he cautioned fellow physicians that antivaccine forces have become more formidable and that stronger efforts will be needed to combat them.

Interested in Running a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic? These TMA Resources Can Help - 05/12/2021

In response to a growing number of private physician practices receiving direct supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Outpatient Workgroup developed two resources with best practices for planning  and operating  a COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

Adolescents Will Soon Receive COVID-19 Shots. Enroll With DSHS to Give Them - 05/11/2021

Adolescents are next in line to obtain COVID-19 vaccines. To prepare for this big step in combating the pandemic, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) encourages physicians and other health care professionals in Texas Vaccine for Children (TVFC) to enroll in the COVID-19 Vaccine Program, the agency announced.  

DSHS Now Shipping COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Daily, Not Weekly - 05/11/2021

Thanks to increased COVID-19 vaccine availability, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has begun filling orders for vaccine doses as they come in, rather than on a weekly basis, the agency recently announced.

Physicians Key to Improving Texas’ COVID-19 Vaccine Rates - 05/06/2021

Recent drops in COVID-19 vaccination rates have several causes, but taken together they signal that the effort to immunize Texans has entered a tough new phase – one that will rely more heavily than ever on physicians to distribute the vaccines, says David Lakey, MD, who is vice chancellor for health affairs and chief medical officer at The University of Texas System.

New Resource Helps Kids Manage COVID-19-Related Stresses - 05/05/2021

Texas physicians have unveiled a new tool to help parents support their children whose behavioral health is suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s upheaval.The Texas Medical Association’s (TMA’s) School Reopening Workgroup, the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS), and members of TMA’s Committee on Behavioral Health produced “Your Child’s Feelings Matter,” a resource in English and Spanish to help parents recognize and support their children’s reactions to school disruptions and other changes the pandemic has forced upon their young lives.

Trouble With COVID-19 Data Entry? The Texas Military Department Can Help - 05/04/2021

Many physicians offering COVID-19 vaccines face unfamiliar administrative chores, including reporting vaccinations to ImmTrac2, the state’s vaccine registry.

COVID-19: Telemedicine - 05/04/2021

View COVID-19 resources related to Telemedicine.

COVID-19: Finances - 05/04/2021

View COVID-19 resources related to practice finances.

Fite Finds Points of Pride in COVID-Plagued Presidency - 05/01/2021

Outgoing TMA President Diana L. Fite, MD's COVID-Plagued Presidency

More COVID-19 Vaccines Available For Your Practice: Order Now - 04/30/2021

Texas’ COVID-19 vaccine supplies are well stocked, and physician practices are likely to see more allocations as the state shifts its vaccination efforts from large, mass vaccination sites “to those where Texans routinely receive medical care,” the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced.

Texas Resumes Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Administration - 04/26/2021

The latest COVID-19 vaccines information as of April 26, 2021

Saying Yes to Updated Vaccine Registry, No to Shaky COVID-19 Science - 04/23/2021

TMA on Wednesday asked state lawmakers to advance a bill to help modernize the state vaccine registry, and to oppose a bill that would require physicians to provide patients who get tested for COVID-19 a brochure that contains “information about preventative measures and treatments” for the disease.