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First Tuesdays at the Capitol Was a Virtual Success - 11/30/2023

Almost 200 physicians, medical students, and alliance advocates logged on to Zoom for the first-ever virtual First Tuesdays at the Capitol on Tuesday, which featured an in-depth briefing on TMA’s legislative agenda for this session.

TMA, Lawmakers Working to Tackle Telemedicine Parity, Prior Authorization - 11/30/2023

As one of the most unique eras of both living and lawmaking continues, attendees at TMA’s Winter Conference heard about medicine’s legislative agenda in both Austin and Washington, D.C., and how COVID-19 has helped shape this year’s legislative focus.

Closing the Gap: New Texas Network Adequacy Law Tackles Waivers - 11/29/2023

Although Texas has some of the strongest network adequacy rules in the country, poor enforcement and an overused waiver system have weakened physician practice viability and patients’ access to in-network care; thanks to advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, this will soon change.

New Law Prohibits Employer COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates, With Exceptions - 11/15/2023

Thanks to advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, guardrails for patient safety and practice viability are included in a new state law that prohibits employers, including physician offices and health care facilities, from mandating COVID-19 vaccines among employees.

Patient Care Protected: TMA Secured Big Legislative Wins With a New Strategy - 11/08/2023

Guided by a set of priorities and girded by grassroots physician advocacy, the Texas Medical Association entered the 2023 legislative session with a laser focused approach and came out hitting targets in every area of medicine’s agenda.

First Steps: TMA Secures Medicaid Physician Rate Increases With Hopes for Momentum - 11/05/2023

TMA helped secure the first Medicaid physician rate increases in decades in hopes it will build momentum for future gains.

All You Need to Do Is RSVP: Alliance Leader Opens Invitation to Medical Advocacy - 10/26/2023

TMA Alliance leader Jenny Shepherd’s open invitation to medical advocacy is an award-winning approach

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.

Impact of TMA’s Legislative Wins for Practices Addressed at Business of Medicine - 10/10/2023

Rounding out a weekend of business meetings and educational sessions aimed at navigating modern health care challenges, the Texas Medical Association’s inaugural Business of Medicine conference concluded with the tradition of an update of medicine’s hard-fought wins during the legislative session and what those wins mean for the practice of medicine.

State Law Banning Refusal of Care to Certain Unvaccinated Patients Takes Effect - 09/26/2023

Starting Sept. 1, a new state law prohibits clinicians caring for patients enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to refuse health care services based on their vaccination status.

Access to Care Improves After 20 Years of Medical Liability Reform - 09/13/2023

This week marks two decades since Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment to stop what some physicians and patients called a crisis situation. They say the effort ensured patients have greater access to doctors’ care.

The Top 5 Things That Get Physicians Sued - 08/23/2023

There are some obvious reasons physicians could face a medical liability lawsuit — surgical errors, misdiagnosis, and medication errors are some of the most common. But other issues related to communication, documentation, and staff conduct, also increase your legal risk.

Medical Board Renewed; Special Session Ends - 08/23/2023

The 85th Texas Legislature returned to Austin July 18 for its first called special session. Senate and House members, led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Joe Straus, have 30 days to address the 20 topics identified by Gov. Greg Abbott starting with the Texas Medical Board sunset bill and other sunset legislation.

What You Need to Know About the Texas MOC Law - 08/23/2023

TMA's new white paper answers many questions on a tough new law that protects physicians from being forced to undergo maintenance of certification (MOC).

Patient Care Protected: Scope Creep/GME Funding - 08/07/2023

The Texas Medical Association's top legislative priority this session was to protect independent diagnosing and prescribing as the practice of medicine and to address current workforce shortages in a way that ensures patients have access to the same standard of care, regardless of where they live.

Physician-Led Results: Scope-of-Practice Creep/GME Funding - 08/07/2023

As in most legislative sessions, TMA once again successfully defended against the myriad scope-of-practice expansion attempts that surfaced, instead advocating for and winning more sustainable solutions to the state’s physician workforce shortage, including investing in graduate medical education.

Patient Care Protected: Medicaid Payment Increase - 08/04/2023

One of the Texas Medical Association's top legislative priorities this session was to help physicians grow their Medicaid panels and access to care with healthier payment rates.

Patient Care Protected: Network Adequacy, Surprise Billing - 08/04/2023

Spurred by physician reports of insurers taking advantage of their leverage in contract negotiations, the Texas Medical Association prioritized network adequacy reform this session.

Patient Care Protected: Prior Authorization Reforms - 08/04/2023

Carrying the torch from last session, the Texas Medical Association followed up on its 2021 gold-card success with a new prior authorization reform for vulnerable patients and other insurance-related policy wins this session.

Patient Care Protected: Physician Autonomy/Corporate Practice Protections - 08/04/2023

Despite an onslaught of attempts by state government and corporate entities to undermine the patient-physician relationship, the Texas Medical Association successfully prevented any new measures criminalizing patient care this legislative session

Patient Care Protected: Medical Liability Reforms - 08/04/2023

For the 20th year in a row, the Texas Medical Association successfully defended the state's medical liability reforms, in keeping with its legislative priorities for the most recent session.

Patient Care Protected: Medicaid Coverage for Women and Children - 08/04/2023

The Texas Medical Association achieved a key legislative objective this session with the passage of House Bill 12 by Rep. Toni Rose (D-Dallas), which extends Medicaid postpartum coverage from two months to one year.

Legislative Hotline March 4, 2021: TMA Opposes End-of-Life Care Bill That Poses Threat to “Do No Harm” - 07/17/2023

The Texas Medical Association is once again working to stop legislative attacks on a physician’s sacred creed to “do no harm,” which includes taking care of patients in their last days.

Legislative Hotline Feb. 11, 2021: TMA, Lawmakers Seek to Strengthen State Immunization Registry - 07/17/2023

The Texas Medical Association, the Texas Hospital Association, and several state lawmakers stand behind legislation that would fix technological issues with the state’s registry, ImmTrac2, and make entry of a patient’s vaccination data the default.

Legislative Hotline Jan. 27: Texas’ 2022-23 Budget Proposals: What They Mean for Medicine - 07/17/2023

The Texas House and Senate have both unveiled their starting-point proposals for the 2022-23 budget, and the Texas Medical Association has been digging into the numbers to see what the proposals represent as a starting point for medicine. Here is a look at some of what’s in the two (largely similar) budget offerings.