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On the Mend: Maternal Care Wins Encourage Better Outcomes in Texas - 11/05/2023

Twelve months of postpartum coverage and other maternal wins encourage physicians for better outcomes.

Help Promote National Drug Prescription Take Back Day on Oct. 28 - 10/19/2023

Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which allows people to dispose of prescription drugs safely and anonymously, is scheduled for Oct. 26 at locations throughout the state.

Law Would Help Improve Data Collection on Maternal Deaths - 09/06/2023

A bill that became law in December is designed to help states fix some of their problems with collecting maternal death information. The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018 would help states and fund maternal mortality review committees that can evaluate, improve, and standardize maternal death data.

Physicians Will Lead Legislature’s Controlled Substances Committee - 07/17/2023

When a special joint committee of the Texas Legislature tackles issues with controlled substances this year, physician-lawmakers will take the lead.

TMA Leaders Outline Initiatives to Protect Texas Mothers, Children - 07/17/2023

The Texas Medical Association will call on Texas lawmakers to support initiatives designed to improve maternal and children's health during this year's legislative session, according to the chairs of two TMA committees who spoke at Winter Conference in Austin on Saturday.

Stop Maternal Deaths: Texas Report Reinforces TMA Legislative Priorities - 03/10/2023

The latest biennial survey of maternal death and illness shows why the Texas Medical Association made improving maternal health one of its top priorities for the current state legislative session.

DEA Proposed Rules Address Telehealth Prescribing Post PHE - 03/08/2023

Physicians found new flexibility in prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the public health emergency is ending, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed new rules for prescribers it says could preserve some of those flexibilities “with appropriate safeguards.”

Counterfeit Medications Proliferate in Patient Care – and They’re Not Just Illicit Opioids - 01/31/2023

Counterfeit medications are a growing problem that can undermine medical treatment, and all physicians can help prevent their spread by asking patients simple questions.

TMB Rewrites Rule to Improve Chronic Pain Care for Texas Patients - 01/19/2023

The Texas Medical Board recently revised one of its rules in a way that makes it easier for physician practices to provide more comprehensive pain management.

Maternal Death Report Reinforces TMA Priorities for Maternal Care - 12/29/2022

The latest biennial report on maternal deaths in Texas and a subsequent update show Texas still has a long way to go to adequately protect the health of women in their child-bearing years – especially women who are Black – reinforcing the Texas Medical Association’s long-standing efforts to improve maternal care and access.

Counting on Women’s Health: Texas Takes Steps to Fix Maternal Mortality Data - 11/23/2022

There is a lot of confusion about how cases of maternal death and illness are counted in Texas, and the work of unraveling that confusion falls on the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee.

COVID-19 Now a Major Cause of Maternal Death, GAO Report Says - 11/01/2022

An analysis by the Government Accountability Office provides the first glimpse into the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women, and – not surprisingly – the disease has become a leading cause of death among them, says Houston obstetrician-gynecologist Rakhi Dimino, MD, chair of the Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Reproductive, Women’s, and Perinatal Health.

Nationwide Adderall Shortage Expected to Last Through 2022 - 10/31/2022

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expects a nationwide shortage of Adderall and Adderall IR to extend through the end of the year, following manufacturing delays by the largest producer of Adderall in the country, Teva Pharmaceuticals LLC.

TMA Urges CMS to Nix Penalties Related to E-Prescribing Controlled Substances - 10/14/2022

The Texas Medical Association is pushing back against proposed penalties for physicians who don’t electronically prescribe controlled substances.

Medicine Pushes For Expanding Medicaid Coverage to New Moms - 10/07/2022

Federal lawmakers must pass a bill that would allow states to provide 12 months postpartum coverage to mothers who lose Medicaid coverage two months after giving birth, and would provide a bump in Medicaid matching dollars for those states, medicine and others said in a letter this week.

Maternal Deaths: First U.S. Data Since 2007 Shows Serious Problems Persist - 10/07/2022

Texas’ rate of maternal deaths is slightly above the national level, long-awaited new data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows.

Texas' Plan to Promote LARCs Released - 09/08/2022

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on Thursday will release the state's five-year strategic plan for promoting long-acting, reversible contraceptive devices (LARCs), which are seen as key to reducing the state's high maternal mortality rate. 

Maternity Deserts: Fewer Rural Hospitals Delivering Babies - 06/29/2022

A rural health care shortage is nothing new to Texas physicians and patients, but the problem has become especially difficult for women seeking maternity care in lightly populated regions like West Texas.

Texas Ranked Worst State for Access to Prenatal, Maternal Care - 06/10/2022

A recent study ranked Texas 50th among all states in access to high-quality prenatal and maternal care, and one of the main reasons is the difficulties women face in getting health care coverage both before and after their hospital stay to give birth, says Houston obstetrician-gynecologist Rakhi Dimino, MD, chair of the Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Reproductive, Women’s and Perinatal Health.

Preterm Births, Prenatal Care Still a Concern for Texas, Report Says - 02/02/2022

A new national report by the March of Dimes gave Texas a grade of D for its number of preterm births compared with other states and says Texas also is below the national average in prenatal care – both indicators of maternal health in the state.

Texas Medical Board Posts More Details on E-Prescribing Waivers - 12/10/2021

Prescriptions for all controlled substances must be filed electronically. However, prescribers who demonstrate financial or technical hardships, or other exceptional circumstances, can apply for a waiver that, if approved, will grant a one-year delay.

Longer Coverage, Longer Lives: COVID-19 Relief Bill Could Help With Medicaid Postpartum Coverage - 05/24/2021

TMA urges Texas to keep pregnant women on Medicaid 12 months postpartum following federal enticement in COVID-19 relief bill.

Grant to Help Further Maternal Health Study - 05/19/2021

The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) recently obtained a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help analyze maternal deaths and collect more timely data.

New Rules Could Make It Harder to Enroll in Healthy Texas Women - 04/01/2021

Healthy Texas Women (HTW) has changed how it determines eligibility for low-income women who use the program, which could put a greater burden on physicians and other health care professionals who help patients get and stay with these services, TMA says.  

Bills Would Help Improve Maternal Health in Texas - 04/01/2021

Keeping pregnant women and new mothers safe and healthy has long been among the Texas Medical Association’s top priorities, and several bills introduced this legislative session could help that goal.