With the 90th Texas Legislature scheduled to convene in January, the Texas Medical Association has already secured a presession win for physicians: a proposed rule amendment to eliminate the state’s sales tax on charges for electronic health record systems, electronic medical record systems, patient portals, and other health care technology systems used to maintain, access, or share medical records.
Following a roundtable discussion in September at which he heard directly from physicians and small-business owners, Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced on Oct. 6 an executive order proposing an amendment to the rule.
San Antonio radiologist Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva III, MD, who was invited to that meeting to represent TMA, thanked Comptroller Huffines for his attention to medical records as core clinical infrastructure and point-of-care tools.
“He listened carefully to how this tax affects medical practices and then acted on what he heard,” said Dr. Silva, a member of TMA’s Board of Trustees. “This is exactly why TMA and physicians need to be at the table during discussions that affect patient care.”
In his statement, Comptroller Huffines called the fee to access records “a tax on healthcare.”
“Every dollar a doctor’s office sends to Austin for a tax nobody voted for is a dollar it can’t spend on nurses, equipment, or reducing the cost for patients,” he said.
Chair of the TMA Council on Legislation Andrew “Jimmy” Widmer, MD, says the sales tax on routine record access and sharing adds up quickly for practices.
“This is a huge presession win for the TMA advocacy team and recognition that advocacy does not happen for 140 days every odd year. It’s a 365-day-a-year proposition,” the Frisco internist said. “Our advocacy team is staying on the ball and engaging with our elected officials at every level of government to make sure we can improve the practice of medicine in the state of Texas at every opportunity.”
TMA members who want to help shape the future of Texas medicine at the next legislative session can participate in
First Tuesdays at the Capitol, which runs Feb. 2 through May 2027.