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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.

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.

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.”

New Report Aims to Catalyze Texas Medicaid’s Shift to Value-Based Care - 03/02/2023

A new report aims to accelerate Texas Medicaid’s transition from a fee-for-service payment model to a value-based one, a shift that has been underway for 25 years.

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.

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.

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.

The Unwinding: What the End of the PHE Means for Telehealth - 02/01/2023

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.

The Unwinding: What the End of the PHE Means for COVID Vaccines, Testing, and Treatments - 02/01/2023

The COVID-19 crisis spurred an unprecedented combination of public health initiatives and funding, much of it made possible by the public health emergency (PHE) declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in January 2020. When the PHE expires, what will happen to crucial vaccines, testing, and treatments?

Order Multiple COVID Vaccine Categories in New VAOS Process - 01/31/2023

A new process in the state Vaccine Allocation and Ordering System (VAOS) will significantly reduce the amount of data entry required from physician practices when ordering COVID-19 vaccines.

Many Adults Don’t Know They Should Get COVID Booster, CDC Survey Says - 01/31/2023

A lot of U.S. adults aren’t getting the COVID-19 bivalent booster, and a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) helps explain why: Most likely, they don’t know about it, don’t know they’re eligible for it, or don’t think they need it.

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.

As Flu and RSV Drop Omicron Subvariant Poses Unknown Threat - 01/18/2023

A flu and respiratory syncytial virus season that began early and intensely already may have peaked, but other illnesses, including the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant of the COVID-19 virus, remain threats.

Challenge of a Lifetime: Jennifer Shuford, MD, Helped Lead Texas Through the COVID-19 Pandemic - 01/17/2023

Chief State Epidemiologist Jennifer Shuford, MD, found innovative ways to lead Texas through the COVID-19 emergency.

UPDATE: Feds Poised to Extend COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Through Spring 2023 - 01/13/2023

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.

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Available in Single Doses to Improve Outreach, HHS Announces - 12/05/2022

Physicians eager to combat COVID-19 continue to look for ways to make the vaccines easier for patients to access. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently took an important step in that direction by offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to physicians in single-dose vials for patients 12 and older, says Dallas infectious disease specialist Trish Perl, MD, a member of the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force.

A Revolving Door: Persistent Staffing Shortages Plague Practices - 12/04/2022

Many medical practices that are struggling with staffing have found stopgap solutions, such as offering hiring wages and reconsidering their divisions of labor, but these may not be sustainable in the long term.

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.

Marketplace Enrollment Could Help Blunt Potential Uninsured Surge as Public Health Emergency Ends - 11/11/2022

AA number of positive changes expanding access to and affordability of federal marketplace health plans could be coming just in time as Texas’ uninsured rate stands to worsen after the end of the public health emergency.

Commissioned With Change : An Interview With HHSC Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young - 11/11/2022

As leader of the state’s largest agency, Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young is faced with some of the largest health care challenges among some of the most vulnerable patient populations. She visited the Texas Medical Association’s Winter Conference in late January to talk to Texas physicians about their concerns in caring for those patients, especially during a pandemic.

Address Delayed Care Pileup, TMA Tells House Panel - 10/17/2022

The COVID-19 pandemic strained an already overburdened primary health care system in Texas, making it vital that state lawmakers back measures that encourage patients to see a physician and catch up on delayed care before it gets even worse, Tyler pediatrician Valerie Smith, MD, told the Texas House of Representatives Select Committee on Health Care Reform.

Pandemic Pressures:COVID-19 Poses Serious Behavioral Health Challenges - 09/20/2022

The mental health fallout caused by COVID-19 radiates throughout Texas. In this issue, we look at four of the biggest challenges physicians are responding to as more people say that worry and stress related to coronavirus have negatively impacted their mental health.