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Valuable Screentime: Telemedicine Paves the Way for Increased Access - 05/06/2024

Telemedicine paves the way for increased health care access.

HHS Removes Home Address Telemedicine Requirement After TMA’s Urging - 03/18/2024

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will allow for the submission of a post office box or personal mailbox, offered by a private delivery service as a practice location address, when a physician does not have a physical location other than their home address, heeding the Texas Medical Association’s call.

Telemedicine Flexibilities Preserved in Medicare Fee Schedule - 03/05/2024

The 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) extended several pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities, many of which impact physicians who treat rural patients and those with behavioral health needs.

CMS Extends Telehealth Flexibilities to Protect Physician Privacy - 11/27/2023

Following staunch advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not require physicians to list their home address as a practice location on Medicare enrollment forms for another year when providing telehealth services, safeguarding their privacy and safety.

Voter Approval of Broadband Funding Bolsters Telemedicine - 11/27/2023

Texas voters said yes to the creation of a $1.5 billion broadband infrastructure fund Nov. 7, voting in favor to expand internet connectivity to roughly 7 million state residents who lack access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet.

Feds Extend Telemedicine Prescribing Flexibilities Through 2024 - 11/10/2023

With permanent telehealth prescribing policies still under consideration, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) again has extended temporary pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities to allow physicians to virtually prescribe certain controlled medications, now through Dec. 31, 2024.

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.

Texas' Broadband Boom: An Influx of Funds Could Turbocharge Telehealth Access - 10/18/2023

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.

Proposition 8 Aims to Expand Broadband Access - 10/16/2023

The fate of a $1.5 billion Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund rests on a Nov. 7 referendum to expand internet connectivity to roughly 7 million residents who lack access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet.

Study: Counties With Low Physician Access Also Have Poor Internet Access - 08/02/2023

Residents in rural counties and other medically underserved areas are the most likely to face a double  whammy: Not only do they have the lowest access to physicians and in-person health resources, but they also have the lowest access to the broadband internet services that can bring them telehealth, according to a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health.

Texas Receives $3.3 Billion Federal Grant to Expand Broadband Access - 07/27/2023

Texas recently received the largest federal grant of any U.S. state to support broadband expansion, and the state has high need. Physicians say the boost will help ease telehealth care, among many other benefits. Read more.

COVID-19: Telemedicine - 07/20/2023

View COVID-19 resources related to Telemedicine.

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.

UPDATE: Feds Poised to Extend COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Through Spring 2023 - 07/17/2023

After continued advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, American Medical Association, and other organizations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seems likely to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency  for an 11th time.

PHE End Brings Changes for Telehealth, Billing, and Medicaid - 06/26/2023

The federal public health emergency related to COVID-19 will end May 11 – and with it, several flexibilities related to telehealth coverage, virtual physician supervision of nonphysician practitioners, and Medicaid enrollment for nearly 3 million Texans.

The Unwinding: What the End of the PHE Means for Telehealth - 05/09/2023

Throughout the pandemic, state and federal governments relaxed regulatory and payment barriers to health care by telemedicine. That includes paying for telemedicine visits at the same rate as in-person visits; allowing the use of non-HIPAA-compliant platforms; and removing so-called geographic site restrictions that would normally require a patient to be seen in the office. In 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced a new set of telehealth billing codes, particularly for behavioral health.

Telemedicine Billing, Coverage to Change with PHE End: Here’s How - 05/09/2023

The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11 will kick off a series of changes to telehealth coverage and billing as physicians have known them for the past several years. Texas Medical Association experts were at the ready to prepare and educate physicians on the transition during a recent Ask the Expert event.

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.”

How to Tell Patients About Your Online Practice Tools - 02/23/2023

When your practice adopts a new technology that directly involves patients, such as interactive online forms, a patient portal, or even a simple website, you need to tell patients about it and how using it will benefit them. Here are some suggestions for doing that.

Gap in Telehealth Flexibilities Could Harm Access to Care - 02/22/2023

Although Congress recently extended many telehealth flexibilities through 2024, the decision is so far not reflected in Medicare’s 2023 physician fee schedule, leaving a potential gap of confusion and access to care for Texas physicians and patients.

Feds to End COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in Mid-May - 02/07/2023

After nearly three years and 11 extensions, the Biden administration recently announced the COVID-19 public health emergency will finally expire May 11, fulfilling its commitment to give states at least 60 days’ notice of its expiration.

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.

New “Indicator” Helps Medicare Patients Find Physicians Who Offer Telehealth - 01/23/2023

Two recent developments may broaden Medicare patients’ access to telehealth services beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Accelerating Access: Texas' Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Membership Expands Care - 12/04/2022

Texas' recent membership in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact has made it easier for physicians to provide telemedicine care across state lines while also strengthening the Lone Star State's appeal to eligible, out-of-state physicians hoping to relocate.