Related Stories

VA Seeking Refunds from Physicians for Past CHAMPVA Claims - 06/26/2025

Physicians may soon hear from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeking refunds for payments it says were made in error. TMA has provided information on what steps physicians may take.

Service Provider: TMA Practice Resources Educate Physicians on Practice Challenges - 06/23/2025

TMA’s robust practice resources help educate physicians on common billing issues, payer updates, and practice challenges.

New CME Helps Physicians Detect a High-Risk Pregnancy Complication that Masquerades as Mundane - 06/03/2025

Unchecked, outcomes can be dire. Physicians can access CME to help identify hyperemesis gravidarum and defuse the risk it poses to patients and their pregnancies.

Practice e-Tips on Coding - 05/29/2025

Get practice tips on all things coding. Learn about coding methods, correct coding, resources, coding related to Workers' Comp and more.

Why You Need a Written Payment Policy - 03/19/2025

If your practice is wishy-washy about your payment policy, you essentially are allowing each patient to make his or her own policy. What other business allows its customers to decide when and how they will pay?

New AI CME to Go Lets Physicians Listen and Learn - 03/17/2025

Whether practicing in a hospital, rural clinic, or independent practice, physicians see firsthand the integration of augmented intelligence (AI) in health care. Gain the insights and practical tools you need to adopt AI responsibly and enhance your medical practice.

Don’t Overlook Credit Card Processing Fees - 02/14/2025

In today’s world of coinsurance and high-deductible health plans, more of a practice’s revenue comes from the patient, and taking credit cards has become a must. But are you paying too much for credit card processing services?

Goal Setting for Physicians and TMA Section Business Meetings - 02/14/2025

Join your colleagues on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6 pm (CT) for a virtual educational session. Learn about goal setting for physicians and TMA section business meetings.

Aetna Reverses NPP Payment Reduction Under Incident-To Billing - 02/12/2025

Aetna previously intended to pay nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) 85% of the allowable amount, regardless of whether they billed directly or “incident-to” a physician’s diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, the payer upholds a new credentialing requirement.

Your Billing and Collections Checklist for 2025 - 01/10/2025

TMA’s Reimbursement Services staff work year-round with physicians and health plans to help make sure you get paid correctly and on time. They’ve put together a list of practical actions you can take at the start of 2024 to keep your billing and collections on track throughout the year.

Learn How to Get Paid for Nonmedical Drivers Screening with New CME - 12/19/2024

A newly available CME webinar details how to receive payment for screening patients for nonmedical drivers of health, the constellation of conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health outcomes and risks.

TMA to Represent Texas Physicians’ Coding, Payment Concerns on National Credentialing Organization - 12/17/2024

TMA’s Director of Physician Payment Services has been appointed to the former Academy of Professional Coders’ National Advisory Board, where she will elevate the voices of Texas physicians through collaboration on coding, billing, and compliance issues.

TMA Ask the Expert: Delegate to Nonphysician Practitioners - 12/05/2024

Delegating prescriptive authority to nonphysician practitioners (NPPs), such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, can help physicians manage their workloads and budgets. But doing so requires vigilance to comply with state scope-of-practice laws and avoid costly billing mistakes.

I Never Knew TMA: Offered a Wealth of CME - 11/27/2024

CME is one of TMA's most abundant membership benefits and comes in multiple delivery systems.

Physician Input Will Shape CME at TexMed 2025 - 11/12/2024

Educational topics must fall into the categories of leadership and professional development; physician health and wellness; population and public health; business of medicine; or specialty trends. Applications close Dec. 31.

Code Carefully for Bilateral Procedures - 10/02/2024

Coding for bilateral procedures can be confusing. See how payers differ in how they apply CPT modifier 50 to their coding and payment policies.

About CME - 09/18/2024

Continuing Medical Education

BCBSTX to Require E/M Codes for Consultation Services - 09/03/2024

Starting Nov. 18, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas will no longer pay physicians for outpatient or inpatient consultations when they report those services with Current Procedural Terminology codes 99242 – 99245 and 99252 – 99255.

Coding with Care: Knowing Billing Codes for Complex Care Can Maximize Revenue, Access to Care - 08/28/2024

Knowing billing codes for complex care can maximize revenue and access to care.

G-Code Payment Frustration Persists With Inconsistent Implementation - 06/25/2024

Deepening ongoing physician concerns over Medicare’s add-on code for complex care, two major payers have either reduced payment for G2211 claims or announced plans to stop paying certain claims associated with the code altogether. Read more.

Drivers Ed: Texas Program Empowers Residents to Address Nonmedical Drivers of Health - 05/06/2024

Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio developed a residency training program focused on nonmedical factors, related screening tools, and community resources that can help patients in need.

Cigna to Deny Claims Without Z-Code Documentation - 04/24/2024

Starting July 14, Cigna Healthcare will deny certain claims that are billed with a Z code and without documentation, a move that could add to physicians’ administrative burden.

Quality of Life: Pay-for-Quality Programs Increasingly Address Nonmedical Drivers of Health - 03/15/2024

Insurance payers seldom give physicians incentives to address nonmedical drivers of health, especially in traditional fee-for-service payer contracts. Those incentives remain rare even in pay-for-quality programs that emphasize value-based care, but they are gaining traction.

Medicare Sunsets Beleaguered Appropriate Use Criteria Program - 03/14/2024

After longstanding opposition from the Texas Medical Association and others, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finally nixed the appropriate use criteria program for advanced diagnostic services as part of the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule.

Coding Changes in Fee Schedule Promote More Accurate Payment for Complex Visits - 03/05/2024

The 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule allows physicians to list G2211 in addition to codes used in office or outpatient visits for new or established patients (i.e., 99202-99215). Physicians also can use it for telehealth visits.