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Postpartum Coverage Extension Brings Payment Complexities - 04/05/2024

As the 12-month postpartum coverage Texas legislature approved took effect March 1, physicians and their practice staff should take note of subsequent payment complexities, Texas Medical Association experts caution.

May Owen, MD, Outreach Program - 02/23/2024

The May Owen, MD, Outreach Program is a grant program of the TMA Women Physicians Section (TMA WPS) that provides funding to bring female physician oriented programs and activities to small and mid-sized county medical societies.  

Medicaid, CHIP Postpartum Coverage Extension Will Take Effect March 1 - 02/08/2024

After a multi-session advocacy effort by the Texas Medical Association, specialty societies, and women’s health advocates, Texans who are enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program and who are pregnant or become pregnant will see their postpartum coverage automatically extended starting March 1.

The Power of One Voice: Elisabeth Potter, MD's Advocacy Helped Upend CMS' Plan to End Certain Breast Surgery Coverage - 11/01/2023

Elisabeth Potter, MD’s spirited advocacy helped upend CMS’ plan to eliminate coverage for a preferred breast reconstruction surgery.

CPAN CME Bolsters Phone Consult Service - 10/17/2023

As children continue to experience trauma due to COVID-19, the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN) can help physicians address the consequences. Along with its phone consult service – which physicians can access any time – CPAN offers virtual CME on various issues physicians are likely to encounter when treating young patients.

988 Suicide Hotline Remains Unfamiliar One Year Post Launch - 09/08/2023

Suicide hotlines frequently are underused by those who need them most because people are simply unaware of them, says Austin obstetrician-gynecologist Kimberly Carter, MD.

Proposed Mental Health Payment Parity Rules Could Restrict Treatments, TMA Tells TDI - 09/06/2023

Proposed rules that would require insurers to cover mental health and substance use disorders at the same rate as other medical procedures could actually exclude or restrict all benefits for certain treatments.

Patient Care Protected: Women's Reproductive Health - 08/14/2023

One of the Texas Medical Association's top legislative priorities this session was to get clarity for physicians on how they can safely treat pregnant women while protecting the patient-physician relationship.

Texas Medicine Inbox: June 2017 - 07/17/2023

Inbox — June 2017 Tex Med. 2017 113(6) 6. I read with great interest the commentary, "Epidural Use Disparities by Spanish Speaking People in Labor," by Estevan A. Apodaca, MD, a family medicine resident,

Physician-Led Results: Women’s Reproductive Health - 06/28/2023

Physicians entered the 2023 legislative session with heavy concerns over and difficulties in interpreting Texas' abortion statutes when caring for pregnant women in crisis. A last-minute bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott now provides some legal defenses under Texas' abortion ban when treating certain potentially life-threatening pregnancy complications.

TMA-Backed Bills Would Increase Access to Women’s Reproductive, Early Childhood Health Care - 03/24/2023

Twelve month postpartum coverage and a boost to certain Medicaid payments top a list of measures Texas lawmakers are moving on that would bolster women’s health care services, in line with the Texas Medical Association’s priorities for

Stop Maternal Deaths: Texas Report Reinforces TMA Legislative Priorities - 03/10/2023

The latest biennial survey of maternal death and illness shows why the Texas Medical Association made improving maternal health one of its top priorities for the current state legislative session.

CPAN Improves Access to Child Mental Health Care - 12/22/2022

Physicians are using the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN) in steadily growing numbers, but many more can – and should – take advantage of this free behavioral health service, says Nhung Tran, MD, a developmental-behavioral pediatric specialist in Austin who serves as CPAN’s pediatric consultant and the Texas Pediatric Society’s liaison to CPAN.

Evidence-Based Strategies Key to Fighting Texas Suicide Rates - 11/29/2022

As 34.2% of adults in Texas report symptoms of anxiety and depression, Texas physicians are calling for the support and expansion of evidence-based strategies and telemedicine services to bolster mental health care across the state.

Counting on Women’s Health: Texas Takes Steps to Fix Maternal Mortality Data - 11/23/2022

There is a lot of confusion about how cases of maternal death and illness are counted in Texas, and the work of unraveling that confusion falls on the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee.

Physicians Serve as Lead Clinicians to Support Mental Health Intervention - 11/17/2022

The impact of adverse childhood events (ACEs) can be lasting and costly on patient health and medical outcomes. In the United States, more than 20% of adults report experiencing three ACEs during their youth, potentially increasing the risk of negative, chronic health consequences and challenges such as alcoholism, depression, unemployment, heart disease and substance abuse, among many others.

Behavioral Health, Suicide Prevention the Focus of TMA’s Next Distinguished Speaker Series - 11/15/2022

Join experts on Nov. 17 from noon to 1 pm to learn how to improve the behavioral health care systems that strengthen Texas communities and reduce suicide risk at the next Distinguished Speaker Series hosted by the Texas Medical Association and Texas Public Health Coalition (TPHC).

Suicide Risk in Kids With Adverse Childhood Experiences Exacerbated by Pandemic - 11/11/2022

Suicide and suicidal thoughts among high school students who have accumulated adverse childhood experiences became a concern among health care professionals before 2020. But the “social and educational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated concerns about adolescents’ mental health and suicidal behavior,” according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mental Telehealth Paves the Way: Pandemic Flexibilities Expand Access to Care - 11/01/2022

Texas physicians say pandemic-era behavioral telehealth regulatory changes have already proven beneficial – and could be maximized with additional policy reforms, like payment parity for all telehealth visits; in the meantime, the gains of the past few years have forged a path toward future telehealth expansion beyond behavioral health.

Screen Young People Aged 8-18 for Anxiety, USPSTF Recommends - 10/25/2022

The recent recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years be screened for anxiety is likely to trigger family conversations about the topic and in turn, spur long-overdue treatment.

Pandemic Pressures:COVID-19 Poses Serious Behavioral Health Challenges - 09/20/2022

The mental health fallout caused by COVID-19 radiates throughout Texas. In this issue, we look at four of the biggest challenges physicians are responding to as more people say that worry and stress related to coronavirus have negatively impacted their mental health.

Ten Years Later: TMA Advocacy Nets Investments in Women’s Health - 07/27/2022

A decade ago, the Texas Legislature made a funding decision that devasted low-income women’s access to health care and the physicians and community clinics that care for them. After 10 years, with the help of TMA advocacy and the formation of the Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition, funding for family planning and overall women’s health is in significantly better shape.

National Suicide Hotline Changes to Simpler “988” Format - 07/15/2022

People coping with suicidal thoughts can now call 988, the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Senate Evaluates Post-Pandemic Strategies on Mental Health - 07/01/2022

In the face of “grim” research around the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on mental health, the Texas Medical Association is telling state lawmakers to respond with robust regulatory support of telehealth and investments to improve all Texans’ access to care.

State Transferring Millions for School Safety, Mental Health Programs After Uvalde Shooting - 07/01/2022

Quickly following a series of legislative hearings to address the Uvalde shooting, Texas leaders have announced the transfer of more than $105.5 million within the state budget to fund a series of school safety and mental health programs through August 2023.