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Key Issues - 12/10/2024

At the heart of TMA's agenda for the 2025 Texas legislative session is protecting the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship.

Record State Budget Opens Door for Health Care Investment - 12/05/2024

The 88th Texas Legislature kicked off earlier this month, and the Texas Medical Association is already tracking nearly 700 bills, including promising proposals to reduce prior authorization requirements and concerning ones regarding scope expansion.

On Guard for the Patient-Physician Relationship: 2023 Legislative Preview - 12/05/2024

A pandemic wind-down, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a possible recession, a national surprise-billing law. The 2023 Texas legislative session is one shaping up to be defined by a host of federal forces, some of them potentially contentious. Nevertheless, the House of Medicine stands steadfast in its legislative priorities. At the heart of the Texas Medical Association’s agenda for this session: protecting the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship, whether from criminalization, interference from insurers and other nonmedical entities, or public health threats.

Power PAC: TMA’s Political Action Committee Carries Forward Pro-Medicine Legislation - 11/18/2024

TMA’s political action committee (TEXPAC) is at the tip of the spear to carry forward pro-medicine legislation.

Senate Committee Tackles Scope of Practice in Access-to-Care Hearing - 11/18/2024

In a hearing packed with representatives from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, behavioral health, licensing boards, and academia, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee tackled Texas’ health care workforce shortages with the Texas Medical Association delivering its message loud and clear: Expanding scope of practice is not the answer to helping patients in rural and underserved areas.

TMA Leadership Encourages Legislative Relationships to Protect Medicine - 11/18/2024

To best serve medicine’s agenda in the upcoming Texas legislative session, the Texas Medical Association urges members to make and capitalize on relationships with their local representatives, as leadership previewed the likely tumultuous session ahead at the close of TMA’s Business of Medicine Conference last week.

Future Noncompete Bills Must Strike Balance, TMA Tells Texas Lawmakers - 11/18/2024

In the practice of medicine, noncompete agreements have special public policy concerns, “as their use can impact continuity of care, access to needed medical services, and patient choice of a physician,” the Texas Medical Association recently testified to the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee. That’s largely why any future bills on noncompete agreements should “strike a reasonable balance between the employer’s interests and the interests of the employee and the public.”

Legislature Examines Children’s Mental Health Ahead of 2025 Session - 11/18/2024

Texas lawmakers have made great strides in their ongoing investment in mental health services and support for children and their families, and that must continue if Texas is to improve such access to care and reduce the risk of behavioral health crises.

Abbott Signals Support for Opioid Crisis Interventions - 11/18/2024

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently listed the fentanyl crisis as one of seven “emergency” items this session, clearing a path toward passage of Texas Medical Association-backed legislation that aims to curb opioid-related deaths.

Bills Threaten Medical Liability Reforms - 11/18/2024

At least two bills have the Texas Medical Association on notice for threats that aim to weaken Texas’ landmark 2003 medical liability reforms meant to protect access to care and patient safety.

Protect Patients From Inadequate, Narrow Networks - 11/18/2024

In an out-of-network surprise billing situation, the patient and the insurer have a contractual agreement. The physician and insurer do not. As a result, when we remove the patient from the claims settlement process, the insurer has little market accountability unless additional statutory protections are created.

Evening Out the Scale: TMA Gears Up for Another Legislative Battle Over Surprise Bills - 11/18/2024

TMA gears up for another legislative battle over surprise bills.

TMA Leery of Proposed Balance Billing Law - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association is deeply skeptical of a state senator’s freshly filed effort to prevent physicians from balance billing patients for the services they provide. On Thursday, Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) filed Senate Bill 1264, a measure to address surprise out-of-network medical bills. The legislation emerged with no input from the House of Medicine

Safety in Statute: State Law Guides Violence Prevention in Health Care - 11/18/2024

A new state law guides violence prevention plans in health care.  

Closing the Gap: New Texas Network Adequacy Law Tackles Waivers - 11/18/2024

Although Texas has some of the strongest network adequacy rules in the country, poor enforcement and an overused waiver system have weakened physician practice viability and patients’ access to in-network care; thanks to advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, this will soon change.

TMA, Lawmakers Working to Tackle Telemedicine Parity, Prior Authorization - 11/18/2024

As one of the most unique eras of both living and lawmaking continues, attendees at TMA’s Winter Conference heard about medicine’s legislative agenda in both Austin and Washington, D.C., and how COVID-19 has helped shape this year’s legislative focus.

First Steps: TMA Secures Medicaid Physician Rate Increases With Hopes for Momentum - 11/18/2024

TMA helped secure the first Medicaid physician rate increases in decades in hopes it will build momentum for future gains.

Texas' Broadband Boom: An Influx of Funds Could Turbocharge Telehealth Access - 11/18/2024

The federal government recently granted Texas $3.3 billion – the largest award of any U.S. state – to deploy and upgrade broadband networks, critical to ensuring access to telehealth care.

Impact of TMA’s Legislative Wins for Practices Addressed at Business of Medicine - 11/18/2024

Rounding out a weekend of business meetings and educational sessions aimed at navigating modern health care challenges, the Texas Medical Association’s inaugural Business of Medicine conference concluded with the tradition of an update of medicine’s hard-fought wins during the legislative session and what those wins mean for the practice of medicine.

State Law Banning Refusal of Care to Certain Unvaccinated Patients Takes Effect - 11/18/2024

Starting Sept. 1, a new state law prohibits clinicians caring for patients enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to refuse health care services based on their vaccination status.

Medical Board Renewed; Special Session Ends - 11/18/2024

The 85th Texas Legislature returned to Austin July 18 for its first called special session. Senate and House members, led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Joe Straus, have 30 days to address the 20 topics identified by Gov. Greg Abbott starting with the Texas Medical Board sunset bill and other sunset legislation.

Patient Care Protected: Scope Creep/GME Funding - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association's top legislative priority this session was to protect independent diagnosing and prescribing as the practice of medicine and to address current workforce shortages in a way that ensures patients have access to the same standard of care, regardless of where they live.

Physician-Led Results: Scope-of-Practice Creep/GME Funding - 11/18/2024

As in most legislative sessions, TMA once again successfully defended against the myriad scope-of-practice expansion attempts that surfaced, instead advocating for and winning more sustainable solutions to the state’s physician workforce shortage, including investing in graduate medical education.

Patient Care Protected: Medicaid Payment Increase - 11/18/2024

One of the Texas Medical Association's top legislative priorities this session was to help physicians grow their Medicaid panels and access to care with healthier payment rates.

Patient Care Protected: Network Adequacy, Surprise Billing - 11/18/2024

Spurred by physician reports of insurers taking advantage of their leverage in contract negotiations, the Texas Medical Association prioritized network adequacy reform this session.