Vol. 97 No. 5
Cover story
Unionizing Physicians
There hasn't been a land office rush of physicians forming unions since the American Medical Association formed Physicians for Responsible Negotiation, a bargaining unit for physicians. Thus far, the only physician union organizing in Texas has been by a group of emergency room doctors working in the Seton hospital system in Austin. As usual, labor and management have a very different view of things.
By Walt Borges
Legislative Affairs
Rationing or Taxes
Mounting pressure on the state budget caused by rising health care costs and increases in other state appropriations is causing some Texas lawmakers to worry that they may face a Hobson's choice between rationing health care and increasing taxes in future legislative sessions.
By Ken Ortolon
Public Health
Improving Cardiac Care
The HeartCare Partnership is offering participating physicians a new electronic tool that will help them measure the care they are providing their patients. One doctor calls it a "pure outcomes measurement tool."
By Laurie Stoneham
Medical Economics
Bundling and Downcoding
The Texas Medical Association is working hard to eliminate insurance companies' practice of inappropriately bundling and/or downcoding the claims that physicians file, but state insurance regulators haven't been much help thus far. However, they have finally acknowledged they are reviewing complaints to see if inappropriate downcoding is going on.
By Walt Borges
Medical Education
Physician Workforce
The latest TMA Physician Workforce Report shows a trend away from primary care medicine toward specialty fields. And while Texas currently has enough physicians to serve the state's residents, shortages exist in some specialties, along with an ongoing unfilled demand for primary care physicians in rural areas.
By Laurie Stoneham
Public Health Special Report
Stroke Prevention Essentials
By Desiree B. Pendergrass, MD, MPH; Peter W. Pendergrass, MD, MPH; Diane Solomon, MD; and Robert G. Hart, MD
The Journal
Suicide in Travis County, Texas, From 1994 Through 1998
By Siqing Li, MD; Lawrence C. Hauser, MD; and Beilin Gao, MD, PhD
Texas Medicine Rounds
Winter Conference * Stroke awareness * Hotlines * MedBytes * In Case You Missed It * Physician directory * Medicare audits * Project WATCH * Contract Clause of the Month * Alcoholism study
Departments
Editor's Note
From Your President
From the EVP
People
Profile
Information for Authors
Physicians' Referral Directory
Classified Directory
Healthy Ending
Texas Medicine Back Issues