Stories with related Professional Interests

The Customer Is Always Right? Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Have Fans and Detractors - 01/26/2021

For too long, some doctors say measures of a physician’s quality of care have been about process: the average length of a patient stay, for example, or a patient’s readmission rate. The bottom line is results, and that’s why a shift to patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures is necessary. However, even proponents of PRO measures note that collecting the information from patients for those metrics places burdens on physicians, and some remain skeptical of bonuses and penalties tied to a measure that derives from a subjective factor: what patients think.

Troubling Trend: Texas’ 2018 QPP Data Contains More Bad Signs - 01/05/2021

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continues to churn out glowing data annually on its Quality Payment Program (QPP), a full picture of the program’s impact eludes the agency’s reporting. According to the Texas Medical Association’s analysis of state-level data in the 2018 QPP Experience Report, it’s clear that small practices continue to feel most of the program’s punitive pressures.

The Power of Data: UTHealth Publishes Claims Statistics - 04/30/2020

After three years of work, the Center for Healthcare Data at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth is sharing part of its growing trove of numbers for data-driven discussions on many aspects of health care in Texas. The center doesn’t have all the answers. But its work under a federal certification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has resulted in valuable state and regional statistics that the center leaders believe provide food not only for thought, but also for policy.

Seeking a Measure of Reason: TMA Joins Collaborative to Standardize Quality Metrics - 03/31/2020

TMA joins collaborative seeking to identify and standardize quality metrics.

Going Nowhere: APM Committee Resignations Cast Doubt on Payment Models' Future - 03/31/2020

Resignations from HHS advisory committee cast doubt on future of physician-created alternative payment models.

Supporting Fair APM Payments: AMA Backs Accounting for Social Determinants of Health - 01/02/2020

Alternative payment models (APMs) are considered a key part of the future of value-based care. But for them to be successful, the American Medical Association says, APMs need to be fair, which means adjusting for the circumstances that make physicians’ cost and care challenges unique.

Quality Care Pilot Takes Flight - 09/03/2019

How one children's clinic uses a targeted program to dramatically improve care, lower costs.

Faulty Guidelines - 06/03/2019

Former Texas Medical Association President Josie Williams, MD, was tenacious in advocating that organized medicine pay zealous attention to two topics: data and guidelines. In this, she was both sage and prescient. We have done well in following her recommendations on data, but we continue to fall far short of where we need to be on guidelines.

Blue Cross Says MOC Not Needed for BlueCompare - 05/30/2018

Physicians across the state reacted strongly to a March 5 letter from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCSTX) that implied the state’s largest insurance company is now using maintenance of certification (MOC) to rate physicians. That was not the intent, the company’s president says.

Register Now for the Texas Quality Summit - 04/24/2018

This fall, TMA is hosting a unique event to help you improve performance, increase efficiency, and continue to deliver high-quality care. Join your colleagues for the Texas Quality Summit Nov. 18–19, and get the latest resources and hands-on training to take your practice to the next level. Register now, as seating is limited.

Register for the Texas Quality Summit - 04/24/2018

This fall, TMA is hosting a unique event designed to help you improve performance, increase efficiency, and continue to deliver high-quality care. Join your colleagues for the Texas Quality Summit Nov. 18–19, and get the latest resources and hands-on training to take your practice to the next level. Register now, as seating is available to a limited number of participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

TMF Offers Resources to Navigate CMS Requirements - 04/20/2018

TMF has launched three physician-focused networks designed to save time, improve patient care, and reduce costs associated with meeting these requirements. These programs, focused on immunizations, behavioral health and value-based improvements, are designed to help physicians benefit from—and not be penalized by—these mandates.

Registration Open for the Texas Primary Care and Health Home Summit - 04/20/2018

This year’s Texas Primary Care and Health Home Summit will be the fifth annual statewide conference focused on expanding access to high-quality, person-centered primary care for Texans and their families. Sponsored by TMA, the summit will offer stakeholders the opportunity to learn about innovative primary care models, including the health home. Attendees will become conversant with best practices for innovation in primary care and will have opportunities to interact with program experts at various stages of implementation. Register now to attend the summit May 11–12 at the Sheraton Gunter in San Antonio.

Tips on How to Report Data on Quality Measures for MACRA - 04/19/2018

Tips from TMA to help you determine which reporting mechanism will best fit your practice for the first Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance period in 2017.

Last Chance to Register for this Weekend's Texas Quality Summit - 04/19/2018

Limited seats remain for this weekend's Texas Quality Summit, co-hosted by the TMA Council on Health Care Quality and the American College of Medical Quality (ACMQ). The meeting takes place in Austin at the TMA building in the Thompson Auditorium.

TMF Announces 2016–17 Physician Practice Quality Improvement Award - 04/19/2018

Physician practices continue to make great strides in providing reliable preventive services by using health information technology and effective care management methods. TMF Health Quality Institute wants to recognize practices for their hard work. TMF is once again sponsoring the Physician Practice Quality Improvement Award program.  

Don't Miss the Texas Primary Care and Health Home Summit - 04/19/2018

Today is the last day to register for the fourth annual Texas Primary Care and Health Home Summit June 9–10 at the JW Marriott in Houston. The event, presented by the Texas Medical Home Initiative and Texas Health Institute and cosponsored by TMA, provides a learning laboratory for primary care transformation in Texas.

Get Paid to Reduce Heart Attacks and Strokes - 04/19/2018

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wants to enroll 720 practices in the Million Hearts: Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model. This new value-based payment model supports the national Million Hearts initiative, which aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes.

Help Shape Medicare's Quality Measure Development Plan - 04/19/2018

TMA wants to hear from physician members about the draft Quality Measure Development Plan recently posted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Review the plan and submit your comments to Angelica Ybarra, TMA director of clinical advocacy, by Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Texas Primary Care and Health Home Summit Is June 9-10 - 04/19/2018

The fourth annual Texas Primary Care and Health Home Summit will take place June 9-10 at the JW Marriott Houston Galleria.

TMF Launches Physician Practice Quality Improvement Award - 04/19/2018

Physician practices continue to make great strides in providing reliable preventive services by using health information technology and effective care management methods. We think these practices should be recognized for their hard work. TMA, the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association (TOMA), and TMF Health Quality Institute have partnered again to offer the Physician Practice Quality Improvement Award program.

TMF Offers Help Navigating Medicare Requirements - 04/19/2018

Physicians looking for free help navigating the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements for the Physician Quality Reporting System, meaningful use, and value-based payment modifier programs can benefit from three networks from the TMF Quality Innovation Network Quality Improvement Organization.

Preview Your Quality Performance Scores Before They Become Public - 11/15/2017

CMS is giving you or your group practice the chance to preview your performance scores before they're published on the Physician Compare website for all the world to see.

MACRA: Propose Your Own Physician-Focused Payment Model - 02/15/2017

Have you been reading up on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and the new Quality Payment Program? Are the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and advanced alternative payment models (APMs) not good fits for your practice and specialty? If they’re not, consider proposing your own physician-focused payment model. Register today to learn about this opportunity and how to submit a strong proposal.

Confused About Quality Reporting? Get Help From TMF and TMA - 02/14/2017

Reporting deadlines for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), Value-Based Payment Modifier, and meaningful use programs are fast approaching. This data submission timeframe is happening at the same time CMS is rolling out the new Quality Payment Program, Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), and advanced alternative payment models required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Are you confused about the alphabet soup of quality reporting? If so, get help from the TMF Quality Innovation Network and TMA Practice Consulting.