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Governor Vetoes Bill Gutting Medical Board - 06/30/2025

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.

TMA Cheers Appellate Court Ruling in Third NSA Lawsuit - 06/03/2025

Statement by Texas Medical Association (TMA) President Jayesh "Jay" Shah, MD, in response to Friday's order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit granting TMA’s petition for rehearing en banc in TMA’s third No Surprises Act (NSA) lawsuit, which vacates the circuit panel’s Oct. 30, 2024 opinion and will result in a hearing by the full panel of judges at a later date.

TMA’s First 2025 Legislative Victory Protects Sensitive Test Results - 05/23/2025

Gov. Greg Abbott signed TMA’s first victory of the 2025 legislative session to allow physicians a way to communicate to their patients receive serious or sensitive test results in a supportive manner rather than via electronic patient portals. Texas physicians will still need to comply with information blocking provisions after the three-day pause.

TMA Forges New Policies on Same-Day Services, Patient Attribution in Value-Based Care - 05/16/2025

The house adopted several other payment-related policies as well, all emerging from ongoing physician frustration with payer practices that hinder patient care.

Insurance Bill Undermining Patient, Physician Protections Heads to House - 05/13/2025

A top target for TMA, House Bill 139 would create a new “employer choice of benefit” health plan exempt from decades’ worth of insurance laws that promise a minimum set of coverage, prompt pay, prior authorization restraints, and other guardrails. Other bad bills with serious consequences for practices also top TMA’s opposition list.

Physicians Combat Bad Bills at TMA’s Final First Tuesdays at the Capitol - 05/07/2025

Champion of medicine Sen. Donna Campbell, MD, thanked Texas physicians for rallying against harmful legislation – like those that could expand scope of practice. Also on TMA’s chopping block: bills that let health plans go unchecked and weaken vaccine access.

‘If That’s Not Expanding Scope, I Don’t Know What Is’: Bill Grants Scope Shortcut to Rural APRNs - 05/06/2025

With patient safety on the line, TMA physicians showed up in droves in opposition to Senate Bill 3055, which would give certain nurse practitioners independent practice in rural areas. Instead, physicians turned lawmakers’ attention to a new and immediate solution to Texas’ rural access shortages advancing through the legislature: Senate Bill 2695.

Rural-Access Solution Goes Before Senate Committee - 04/28/2025

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.

‘Who Writes the Rules Matters’: Medical Students Converge on Capitol to Educate and Advocate - 04/24/2025

As First Tuesdays continues its run in the second half of session, physicians and medical students bring their thoughts, stories, and concerns to lawmakers to shed light on TMA priorities, including scope of practice and physician workforce measures.

Medical Education, Medicaid Get Budget Boosts as Final Deliberations Begin - 04/23/2025

Medicaid, women’s health, and medical education are all winners so far, all topping TMA priorities this session as part of the overarching goal to boost access to care. With a handful of weeks to go in the session and another key deadline approaching, medicine is still working hard to ensure budget wins stay permanent.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Enhance Medicaid Payments and Coverage - 04/17/2025

TMA will work to enhance Medicaid payments and coverage this legislative session

Medicine Whelms Nurse Scope Expansion Bill - 04/15/2025

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.

TMA Mobilizes Against Nurse Scope Expansion Bill - 04/11/2025

House Bill 3794 is among dozens of bills filed this session that chip away at Texas’ scope of practice laws. While for the most part TMA has stopped such bills in their tracks, by contrast, HB 3794 would open what TMA President G. Ray Callas, MD, strongly warned is a “floodgate” for independent practice by advanced practice registered nurses. TMA urges physicians to act to stop the bill.

TMA Calls for Increased Funding to Help TMB Address Workforce Issues - 04/09/2025

TMA President G. Ray Callas, MD, advocated for Texas Medical Board (TMB) funding, citing record numbers of physician license applications. Plus, learn the Texas House committee assignments that may influence medicine’s legislative agenda. Read more.

E-Cigarette Regulation Heard in Senate, House Committees - 04/07/2025

TMA testified to regulate e-cigarettes just as traditional tobacco products, with protections for children and youth. TMA is also tracking numerous women’s health and insurance bills on the move.

Prior Authorization Fuels Physician Burnout, Decreases Access to Care, AMA Survey Finds - 04/03/2025

Prior authorization continues to intensify physician burnout, increase health care costs, and limit patients’ access to care, per AMA. Meanwhile, TMA advocates against health plans’ use of artificial intelligence in the prior auth process and aims to reduce its burden on physicians.   

First Tuesdays at the Capitol Lets Legislators Hear What Matters Most to Medicine - 04/02/2025

Since 2003, TMA member physicians, medical students, and TMA Alliance members have told their stories to legislators via First Tuesdays at the Capitol. Advocates for medicine have two more opportunities this session to share their views.

Insurance Concerns Dominate TMA Testimony - 03/31/2025

One bill would exempt certain plans from important patient protections, while another could undo reforms to insurer ranking and tiering practices.

TMA Monitoring Approximately 2,800 Bills, Testifies for Patient Protections - 03/24/2025

Bolstered by testimony from dedicated physicians across the state, the Texas Medical Association took to both houses of the Texas Legislature to protect patient safety, as well as promote fair data use and healthier social media practices for youth.

Key Issues - 03/20/2025

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

Panel Makes Big Change in Draft Federal Surprise Billing Law - 03/18/2025

Thanks to incessant lobbying from physicians, hospitals, organized medicine, and the Physicians Advocacy Institute, a key congressional committee today made significant revisions in a bill to reduce the strain of surprise billing on patients. “This certainly sounds like an improvement,” said Texas Medical Association President David Fleeger, MD, “but the devil will be in the details.”

‘This Day Is Huge’: Medicine Doubles Down on Health Care Access Advocacy on First Tuesday - 03/06/2025

TMA’s signature advocacy event, founded by the TMA Alliance, continues to connect physicians, medical students, and the alliance with lawmakers to shepherd the association’s legislative priorities to fruition.

TMA Testifies to Block AI Use in Prior Auth, Support Health of Young and Aging Texans - 03/05/2025

Physicians made the rounds in the Texas Senate, providing testimony to prohibit unfair prior authorization practices, launch a new dementia care institute, and keep the growing populations of kids and seniors healthy.

BCBSTX Reprocessing Flu Testing Claims Following Incorrect Denials - 03/03/2025

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) is reprocessing certain claims filed between Jan. 1 and Feb. 13, the payer told TMA’s Physician Payment Resource Center. Physicians should continue to review claims to ensure they are correctly reprocessed.

TDI Eases Prior Authorization Request Process for Prescription Renewals - 02/28/2025

After a three-year effort, the Texas Medical Association recently secured a form change that allows physicians to bypass the most onerous part of prior authorization requests when renewing an existing prescription.