News

Gender-Neutral Insurance Rates = Big Savings for Women Physicians - 09/20/2019

To help Texas Medical Association members get the income protection they need, the exclusive TMA Member Long Term Disability Plan, issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, uses group rates that are based on age, not gender. Female physicians will find these gender-neutral group rates significantly less expensive than most individual disability plans available in Texas. 

There’s Still Time to Join the Hard Hats Celebration in October - 09/20/2019

There’s still time to celebrate the 25th birthday of the Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program, and you are invited to promote bicycle safety in your community.

Build Your Health Care Marketing Playbook - 09/20/2019

If you don’t already have a plan for how patients can find you, join Texas Medical Association-endorsed vendor Officite for a free webinar next week that will show you what it takes to attract more patients to your practice online.

New Syphilis Testing Requirements During Pregnancy In Effect - 09/20/2019

As of Sept. 1, Texas physicians are required to test pregnant women for syphilis three times: at the first prenatal visit, during the third trimester (no sooner than the 28th week), and at delivery. Previously, state law required testing at the first visit and during the third trimester.

Vaping-Related Lung Illness Cases Continue to Rise: Clinical Conference Call Planned - 09/19/2019

Texas health officials are investigating 37 confirmed and possible cases of severe lung disease in youth and young adults who used e-cigarettes or vaping products. To help better understand the vaping epidemic, the CDC will host a clinically focused conference call Friday that will focus on what physicians and other health care professionals are experiencing.

Honor A Physician Doing Outstanding Public Health Work - 09/19/2019

In celebration of the work Texas physicians are doing in public health, the Texas Medical Association has created an award to recognize a member physician who has made outstanding contributions to medicine through a significant commitment to public health.

Have Your Say on Trauma Facility Designations - 09/19/2019

The Texas Department of State Health Services has released a second version of the rules on trauma facilitiy designations. TMA is encouraging you to have your voice and expertise heard.

We Need to Come in Force: Physician-Lawmakers Look Ahead to 2021 - 09/18/2019

A panel of medicine’s representatives in the Texas Legislature said Saturday that 2019 was a good year for medicine in Austin, but unfinished business remains for the next session in 2021.

Telemedicine: Valuable, But Not a Panacea - 09/18/2019

Telemedicine can provide patients with considerable convenience and satisfaction, but challenges still exist with insurance payments and bottom-line value for individual physicians. That’s what physicians who have successfully integrated telemedicine into their practices told fellow doctors during Saturday’s Dawn Duster presentation at the 2019 Texas Medical Association Fall Conference.

Get Your Patients to Vote Against Cancer - 09/18/2019

A measure to extend Texas’ place as a leader in the fight against cancer is on the ballot, and you should encourage your patients to get out and vote. To help spread the message about Proposition 6, which extends funding for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), TMA has created a push card that you can place in your waiting room.

File Your MIPS Targeted Review Request by Sept. 30 - 09/18/2019

Physicians have two weeks to file a targeted review request to appeal errors in their 2018 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance feedback and 2020 Medicare payment adjustment under the Quality Payment Program (QPP).

Send TMA Your Prior Auth Nightmare Stories - 09/18/2019

Arbitrary. Confusing. Frustrating. Never-ending. Maddening. Those are some of the terms we can actually print that describe physicians’ perceptions of insurance companies’ prior authorization requirements and approval processes. Your personal stories of patient harm due to prior authorization request delays or denials can give the Texas Medical Association the ammunition it needs to fight this problem. Please submit your stories via email to the TMA Payment Advocacy Department.

TMB Transitions to Electronic Licenses in September - 09/18/2019

Beginning Sept. 1, the Texas Medical Board (TMB) will no longer issue paper licenses for physicians or physician assistants. Instead, new and renewed licenses will be available via the My TMB online portal.

Physicians Need to Prepare for New Opioid Rules and Best Practices - 09/17/2019

Texas physicians need to prepare for changes in state law tied to opioid prescribing in the coming months, according to the three-physician panel that addressed "Responding to the Opioid Epidemic" at the 2019 Texas Medical Association Fall Conference.

Texas Physicians Urged to Vote for Prop. 6 on Nov. 5 to Preserve CPRIT - 09/17/2019

State Rep. John Zerwas, MD (R-Richmond), encouraged his fellow Texas physician leaders to vote Nov. 5 for Proposition 6, a constitutional amendment designed to extend funding for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. "It's an incredibly important thing to all of us," Dr. Zerwas told physicians at the 2019 Texas Medical Association Fall Conference on Saturday.

TMA Can Take Lead in Addressing Social Determinants of Health - 09/16/2019

Despite widespread knowledge about the impact of social determinants of health – such as housing and food insecurity – the U.S. health care system does a poor job of taking those factors into account when caring for patients, the co-founders of The Health Initiative, a Boston nonprofit, told physicians at the Texas Medical Association's Fall Conference on Saturday.  

Federal Dollars Bolster Texas Efforts to Combat Maternal Mortality - 09/13/2019

 A pair of Texas agencies won separate multi-million dollar grants from the U.S. government to help curb maternal death and illness in the state. 

Your Patients’ Health Depends on Your Overall Well-Being - 09/13/2019

Taking care of your patients is obviously your first priority. But while you’re working to improve the lives of people in your community, don’t forget to take care of yourself, too. After all, you can’t treat patients effectively if you’re not treating yourself well.

CRNAs Can’t Administer Anesthesia Unless Physician Delegates It, AG Rules - 09/12/2019

The state attorney general has agreed with the Texas Medical Association in an official opinion that keeps certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) from administering anesthesia without physician delegation.

Are You Giving, and Receiving, Enough Support from Your IRL Community? - 09/11/2019

As social media and online communities continue to expand, it can be easy to lose your connection to the physical world. Yes, you might be connecting to more people online, but are you spending enough time with the community around you? The Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Physician Health and Wellness has created several CME courses to help.

New Web Page Helps You Help Prevent Student Concussions - 09/11/2019

To help you prevent and/or care for traumatic brain injuries, the Texas Medical Association has created a web page about student-athlete concussions to raise awareness among physicians, student-athletes and their parents, and coaches.

Improve Patient Safety by Focusing on Safe Practices for Drug Allergies - 09/10/2019

Your electronic health record likely contains multiple types of clinical decision support (CDS) tools to help you track a patient’s drug allergies. But despite the many CDS tools, adverse drug allergy interactions continue to occur. To help practices curb those adverse reactions, the Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety created an online toolkit that focuses on using CDS and health information technology to safely prescribe medications.

It’s Not Too Early to Plan for the TMA Foundation’s Annual Gala - 09/09/2019

The 2020 Texas Medical Association Foundation gala – scheduled for Friday, May 1, in Fort Worth – will recognize Fort Worth for its vibrant art scene and honor the unique ways in which physicians treat each patient.

Register Today: A Texas-Sized Fight Against Cancer - 09/09/2019

If you would like to learn how Texas physicians and CPRIT grantees are saving lives, and what it will take to achieve a cancer-free future in our state, be sure to attend the Texas Medical Association Distinguished Speaker Series: “A Texas-Sized Fight Against Cancer: Progress and Perspectives From Four Texans Leading the Way.”

Telemedicine, Opioids, Legislative Wins Highlight TMA’s Fall Conference - 09/05/2019

Join your fellow Texas physician leaders at this year’s conference, which is scheduled for Sept. 13-14 at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa. Register today. Board, committee, and council business meetings are planned Friday, while Saturday’s programming will dive into a number of topics at the forefront of medicine.