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CME E-Tracking Mandate Begins Sept. 1 - 01/21/2026

Following state legislation, TMB has previewed an arrangement with vendor CE Broker for physicians to log CME. Experienced users suggest documentation tips and timely logging.

Rural-Access Solution Goes Before Senate Committee - 01/16/2026

The culmination of many months and meetings, TMA-backed Senate Bill 2695 was unveiled to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, opening a new pipeline for rural access to care while preserving Texas’ physician-led care model.

Cap at Hand: Federal Loan Changes Could Exacerbate Medical Students’ Financial Challenges - 01/14/2026

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act caps students’ borrowing for professional schools – including medical schools – at $50,000 annually, with a total limit of $257,500. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

Don’t Forget: Fingerprinting Mandatory for License Renewal - 01/07/2026

Failure to comply could delay license renewal or reinstatement, as one Texas physician learned. TMA encourages members to begin the process early, as fingerprint background check results are required before physicians can access the online registration.

Community Support: Texas Aims to Use Federal Funding to Address Rural Health Care Challenges - 01/05/2026

Texas aims to use federal funding to address rural health care challenges.

Governor Vetoes Bill Gutting Medical Board - 12/30/2025

The full force of TMA advocacy came to bear in the veto of Senate Bill 268, which would have eviscerated an important Texas Medical Board function: halting the unlicensed practice of medicine by health professionals licensed by another Texas agency.

Physicians Must Disclose AI Use Alongside Existing HIPAA Requirements, Per State Laws - 12/30/2025

Texas Senate Bill 1188 and Texas House Bill 149 require physicians to follow certain disclosure requirements when using artificial intelligence (AI). As these laws take effect, Texas physicians should ensure compliance in conjunction with HIPAA mandates.

Direct Payment Model Available to All Texas Physicians Under New State Law - 12/30/2025

House Bill 541, now in effect, replaces the “direct primary care” nomenclature from a TMA-backed 2015 law with the more inclusive “direct patient care.” In a typical direct care model, patients pay a monthly fee, and in return, receive services like office visits and in-office procedures without involving insurance.

Medicine Whelms Nurse Scope Expansion Bill - 12/30/2025

Physicians from across the state made the trek to the Capitol to testify that House Bill 3974 would dismantle Texas’ longstanding physician-led care model and with it, patient safety. TMA and the legislature remain committed to quality solutions to the state’s access-to-care challenges.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: TMA Defeats Concerning Vaccine Bills For Second Session in a Row - 12/08/2025

Two bills that did survive will took effect Sept. 1, one of which imposes a specific informed consent form on physicians.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Amid Bad Insurance Bills Defeated, Gold Card Law Refinements Close Gaps - 12/08/2025

House Bill 3812 addresses some of the shortfalls and inconsistencies among payers in the intended implementation of Texas’ landmark prior authorization exemption law. The law took effect Sept. 1 but additional rulemaking by the Texas Department of Insurance is likely.    

Free Early-Career Education for Residency Programs Open for 2026 - 12/04/2025

Each “Starting Your Career” seminar is conducted live or online by TMA’s practice management experts and focuses on nonclinical skills critical to starting or entering practice.

Behavioral Health Infrastructure Gets Legislative Focus with TMA-Supported Bills - 12/02/2025

In addition to addressing youth social media use, the legislature also set out to create a pipeline for aspiring mental health professionals. Plus, TMA will help study how to balance psychiatric care burdens.

Legislators Can Request Health Insurance Mandate Analysis Via New State Law - 11/18/2025

Though the filed version of the bill would have heavily favored insurance companies, TMA successfully worked to add data transparency provisions to promote a comprehensive and unbiased analysis. Lawmakers also focused on price transparency bills affecting how facilities can bill patients for services.

Key Issues - 11/13/2025

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

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Inside the Capitol – Lessons from the 89th Legislative Session - 11/13/2025

TMA Council on Legislation Chair Zeke Silva, MD, offers an inside look at what it was like to operate at the Capitol behind the scenes and on the stage during this year’s session.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Erosions to Medical Liability Reforms Fail - 11/13/2025

Medicine’s work this session to preserve Texas’ landmark medical liability reforms started and ended like legislative sessions past with a perennial attempt to index the landmark 2003 noneconomic damages cap to inflation. But that story had a twist this session in that the vehicle to do so, House Bill 4036, was pushed by a pair of Republicans alongside its typical Democrat contingency.  

Testimonials in Advertising - 11/11/2025

Simply as it regards testimonials, physicians should strictly limit their use and only permit representations in their advertisements that are readily subject to verification.    

Medicine Calls for Exemption to New $100,000 H-1B Visa Application Fee - 11/11/2025

International medical graduates (IMGs) make up about a quarter of Texas’ physician workforce, considering both licensed physicians and residents. But a White House executive order, requiring a new $100,000 fee for H-1B work visa applicants, could squeeze this crucial pipeline in meeting health care needs.

Obesity Rate Continues to Hike Among Adult Texans - 11/10/2025

Recent findings show the share of adults with obesity is still climbing, maintaining a 20-year upward trend in the state. Texas officials and the legislature work to combat the issue through state programs and new legislation.

Pivoting Toward the Future: Progress in the Physician Workforce Grows Apace With the State’s Population - 11/07/2025

TMA’s physician workforce keeps apace the Texas population growth, and progress is happening to build the workforce through licensure, new state programs, and other initiatives.

Covering Distances: Physicians, Lawmakers, Med Schools Look to Improve Rural Patient Access to Care - 11/07/2025

Texas legislators are taking notice of the dearth of physician care in rural counties with solutions, medical schools are gaining ground with successful rural-specific training tracks, with TMA all the while pushing for further steps to assuage rural health care shortages in Texas.

$3 Billion Dementia Research Investment Up for Vote in November - 11/05/2025

Alzheimer’s disease, which comprises 60-80% of dementia cases, is rising in Texas and becoming a public health crisis, per state officials. TMA supports a new research institute aiming to change that.

TMA International Medical Graduate Section GroupMe - 10/28/2025

Join the Group! This is an opportunity for TMA international medical graduate section members to converse informally, collaborate, and exchange information.

Ivermectin Can Now Be Dispensed in Texas Without Physician Prescription - 10/28/2025

TMA testified patient safety is at risk when physician oversight is removed from prescription medication dispensation. Concerns included determining proper dosages and potential interactions with other drugs.