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TMA Testifies on a Flurry of Public Health, Insurance Bills - 03/24/2023

As of the March 10 bill filing deadline, state lawmakers had introduced more than 9,000 pieces of legislation, establishing a new record and teeing up the Texas Medical Association’s busiest session yet.

TMA-Backed Bills Would Increase Access to Women’s Reproductive, Early Childhood Health Care - 03/24/2023

Twelve month postpartum coverage and a boost to certain Medicaid payments top a list of measures Texas lawmakers are moving on that would bolster women’s health care services, in line with the Texas Medical Association’s priorities for

Help Patients Find Outpatient Remdesivir with HHS Locator - 03/21/2023

Physicians who provide Veklury (remdesivir) for outpatient use can improve patient access to the COVID-19 therapeutic by volunteering their contact information to a Department of Health and Human Services directory.

TMA’s “Battle This Session” Begins: Fighting Scope Creep - 03/16/2023

As expected, several scope-of-practice expansion attempts have crept their way into the more than 800 bills the Texas Medical Association is already tracking so far this legislative session, underscoring why fighting scope creep is medicine’s top priority.

Free Live Webinar: Medicaid Unwinding 101 – How to Prepare Your Practice and Your Patients - 03/16/2023

After more than three years and 11 extensions, the COVID-19 public health emergency will expire May 11. More pressingly, Texas will begin “unwinding” Medicaid continuous eligibility for the more than 2.5 million residents who benefited from such coverage thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funding.

TMA Chart Shows COVID-19 Risks for Various Activities - 03/15/2023

Texas Medical Association (TMA) physician experts recently created a chart  to help Texans make informed choices about which activities are safest to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Guard for the Patient-Physician Relationship: 2023 Legislative Preview - 03/14/2023

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.

TMA Decries Scope Bills That Would Allow Nurses to Practice Independently - 03/10/2023

Just three days before the bill-filing deadline, state lawmakers filed a pair of bills that would allow advanced practice registered nurses to practice independently.

House Recognizes TMA Alliance on First Tuesdays’ 20th Anniversary - 03/10/2023

Clad in commemorative scarves honoring the 20th anniversary of First Tuesdays at the Capitol, Texas Medical Association Alliance (TMAA) members stood tall among a sea of white coats as State Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Carrollton) recognized their dedication to medicine on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives on March 7.

Talk to Patients About: Vaccines for Older Adults - 03/01/2023

This material is designed to help you talk to your patients and help them understand the benefits of vaccines.

TMA Moment In Time: Pandemic Response - 03/01/2023

The strength of organized medicine carried TMA and Texas physicians through an unprecedented public health crisis and beyond.

Lobbying Tips - 02/27/2023

The involvement of physicians, medical students and alliance members is vital to the success of TMA’s grassroots lobbying efforts. A vital asset to TMA’s professional lobbying team, only you can give your state legislators the most accurate picture about how the issues really affect the practice of medicine and the patients of Texas. TMA offers some tips for lobbying your legislator on the issues of importance to you.

The Unwinding: What the End of the COVID PHE Means for Continuous Medicaid Coverage - 02/24/2023

After nearly three years and 11 extensions, the federal public health emergency related to COVID-19 is poised to end this spring, and with it, continuous Medicaid coverage for more than 2.5 million Texans.

Abbott Signals Support for Opioid Crisis Interventions - 02/21/2023

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.

Key Issues - 02/16/2023

At the heart of TMA's agenda for the 2023 Texas legislative session is protecting the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship.

Bills Threaten Medical Liability Reforms - 02/15/2023

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.

Virtual Meeting to Cover Surprise Billing Laws, TMA Member Benefits - 02/09/2023

But if you want to learn even more about Texas' new suprise billing law, or if you want to find out what’s new with the Lone Star Caucus – which represents your county in the Texas Medical Association’s House of Delegates – tune in to a 30-minute virtual meeting scheduled for noon on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Have Your Say on Texas’ New Surprise Billing Law - 02/09/2023

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is holding a public hearing next week on rulemaking for the state’s new “baseball-style arbitration” law to address surprise medical bills. If you wish to speak at the meeting, TDI requests you submit written comments or a summary of your testimony by noon Friday, Oct. 18 “to facilitate a meaningful discussion.”

Fix Surprise Billing and You’ll Fix the Need to Report Collections - 02/09/2023

Practicing medicine is our primary focus as we maintain our patient-physician relationships. Physicians do not want to report patients to credit agencies for unpaid accounts. Doing so harms our relationships with our patients. If we are successful in taking patients out of surprise billing scenarios, then credit reporting will no longer be an issue.

Require Network Directory Accuracy - 02/09/2023

The basic product of a health insurance company is a comprehensive facility and physician network for the covered members. Balance billing events most commonly occur when a patient is receiving care at an in-network facility by an out-of network physician. The problem for both patients and physicians is not being able to easily match up the in-network facilities with in-network specialists. While I can find for a given city what physicians are in network, and what facilities are in network, there is no easy or uniform way to cross-reference the in-network facilities with in-network, facility-based physicians who provide services there.

Protecting Patients From Balance Bills - 02/09/2023

The committee substitute will hold harmless patients for expenses beyond their copay, coinsurance. and deductible for all emergency care and situations where a patient may receive a surprise bill for physician services, facility fees or diagnostic testing or imaging, and for special medical services ordered by an in-network physician.

Take Patients Out of the Middle of Balance Billing – The Right Way - 02/09/2023

We are very much supportive of the need to protect the patient from a surprise out-of-network bill; however, our opposition to HB 3933 is driven by the modification of the mediation process and Texas law in a way that allows insurers to have more control over the market and places more of a financial burden on physicians and their practices.

Protect Patients From Inadequate, Narrow Networks - 02/09/2023

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.

Say No To Bill That Would Take Physicians Out Of Balance Billing - 02/09/2023

The Texas Medical Association is fighting a bill working its way through the Capitol that would allow insurance plans to unilaterally determine payment for out-of-network billing.

Evening Out the Scale: TMA Gears Up for Another Legislative Battle Over Surprise Bills - 02/09/2023

TMA gears up for another legislative battle over surprise bills.