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TMA Asks AMA to Stay Out of Affordable Care Act Suit - 05/02/2023

Leaders of the Texas Medical Association on Tuesday publicly objected to the American Medical Association’s plans to get involved in a high-profile federal lawsuit — filed in Texas — challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.

Private Health Plans Must Cover Women’s Obesity Counseling, Other Preventive Services - 04/05/2022

Starting next year, private health plan policies that began after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect now will have to cover multiple types of prevention counseling for women, as well as contraceptive care, double electric breast pumps, and more.

Tell Your Uninsured Patients About HealthCare.gov Marketplace Enrollment - 11/19/2021

Enrollment in the federal health insurance marketplace on HealthCare.gov is now open, so it’s a good idea to let your uninsured patients know the option is there. And if they sign up by Dec. 15, their coverage will begin at the start of 2022.

Enrollment for Marketplace Plans Extended by One Month - 09/24/2021

The Biden-Harris administration has announced a 30-day extension of the upcoming open enrollment period for federal marketplace health plans available through HealthCare.gov, as well as a new monthly special enrollment period targeting people with low incomes.

Remind Uninsured Patients: ACA Enrollment Ends Aug. 15 - 07/21/2021

The Texas Medical Association encourages physicians to remind uninsured patients to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Special Enrollment Period , which has been extended to Aug. 15 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CMS Finalizes Lower-Than-Proposed Cost-Sharing for Marketplace Plans; Enrollment Closes Aug. 15 - 06/17/2021

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has settled on a lower maximum for consumers’ out-of-pocket costs for federal health insurance marketplace plans in 2022 than what the agency proposed last November.

Weighing the Cost of Obesity: One Solution Does Not Fit All For This Complicated Disease - 05/25/2021

Obesity causes or contributes to a range of fatal and debilitating health conditions. On top of this, obesity has emerged as one of the largest contributing factors in severe illness and death among those who contract COVID-19, according to several studies.

CMS Working to Improve Enrollment in ACA Marketplace Health Plans - 04/26/2021

More federal resources will be available next year to help uninsured Texans gain access to health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said last week.

Open Enrollment 2020: Be Prepared for Coverage Changes - 11/13/2019

You’re probably already aware that open enrollment for commercial health insurance plans, including those on the Affordable Care Act Exchanges, opened Nov. 1 and will run through Dec. 15. While some patients won’t make any changes to their coverage, others will make significant changes, including enrolling with a completely different health plan.

A Growing Problem: Childhood Obesity Could Hamper Military Readiness - 05/28/2019

Childhood obesity has become so widespread in the U.S. that it threatens military readiness, but bills currently moving through the Texas Legislature could help alleviate the problem, according to a pair of state lawmakers.

Incentivize Texas-Grown Produce in the SNAP Program - 04/16/2019

Texas has the seventh-highest obesity rate for youth aged 10-17 and the 14th-highest adult obesity rate in the U.S. In Texas, more than half of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries are children.  The SNAP program serves low-income families that are at higher risk for obesity and diet-related chronic disease. That is why I support SNAP incentive programs as an effective model to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in the SNAP program and improve the diets of SNAP beneficiaries.

Help Children Develop Healthy Habits Early - 04/02/2019

It is the role of primary care pediatricians, such as myself, to counsel our patient’s families on the best ways to keep their children safe, happy, and healthy – whether that is via mental health screenings, injury prevention anticipatory guidance, or advice on the best foods to maintain a healthy weight.

Dallas Nonprofit, El Paso Clinic Receive TMA Foundation Champion of Health Awards - 01/28/2019

The Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) presented its 2019 John P. McGovern Champion of Health Awards to a Dallas nonprofit organization that promotes gardening, nutrition, and giving, and to an El Paso medical-student-run clinic that provides health care to underserved patients.

ACA Ruling An Opportunity to Improve Health Care Access - 12/19/2018

The Texas Medical Association believes a Texas federal judge’s recent ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional provides a bipartisan pathway to strengthen access to health care and provide coverage for the 4.5 million Texans without health care coverage.

New Physical Activity Guidelines Highlight the Importance of Moving - 11/19/2018

The Department of Health and Human Services recently published the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which stress that being physically active is the most important step people can take to improve their health. This is true for any amount of physical activity, regardless of intensity, the guidelines say.

When Patients Don’t Pay Their Premiums in the ACA Marketplace - 04/17/2018

Will physicians have to refund payments to an insurer if a patient who bought coverage from that insurer in the Affordable Care Act marketplace doesn’t pay his or her premiums?

Analysts: Ending ACA Cost-Sharing Payments to Affect Middle Class - 12/05/2017

The Trump administration made a splash in October by announcing an end to government subsidies that help insurers provide discounts to low-income enrollees in the Affordable Health Care (ACA) marketplace. However, analysts say it won't be low-income people who will feel a financial hit from President Donald Trump's decision on the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. Instead, people with higher incomes pick up the tab, analysts said.

Purchasing Insurance Across State Lines - 05/25/2017

The Affordable Care Act, signed by the President in 2010, actually provides for the sale of health insurance across state lines. States may form interstate compacts that would allow states in those compacts to sell qualified health plans to purchasers in other states in the compact.

Can I Pay My Patient’s ACA Premium to Ensure Coverage? - 03/30/2017

If I receive notice that patients who are covered by a health plan in the Affordable Care Act exchange are within the three-month grace period for paying their premiums, may I just pay their premiums to make sure they have coverage while I provide services?

Obesity Talking Points - 02/27/2017

The obesity epidemic threatens Texas’ physical and fiscal health. Texans young and old are growing fatter. Nearly 66 percent of Texas adults and 32 percent of Texas teens are overweight or obese. Obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension are increasing at the same rate as obesity.

Obesity Prevention - 05/06/2016

Obesity continues to threaten Texas’ physical and fiscal health. More than 40 percent of Texas children are overweight or obese. Research indicates an overweight child has a 70 percent chance to be overweight or obese as an adult.