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Lobbying Tips - 02/27/2023

The involvement of physicians, medical students and alliance members is vital to the success of TMA’s grassroots lobbying efforts. A vital asset to TMA’s professional lobbying team, only you can give your state legislators the most accurate picture about how the issues really affect the practice of medicine and the patients of Texas. TMA offers some tips for lobbying your legislator on the issues of importance to you.


Surprise Billing Rules Garner More Legal Action - 02/10/2023

Pressure is mounting on federal authorities with several legal actions now aiming to stop what physicians and hospitals say is an unfair arbitration process outlined in rules implementing the No Surprises Act, legislation passed in 2020 to address surprise medical bills.


Hospitals Can Improve Care for Patients With Hearing-Loss, TMA Says - 01/03/2020

Hospitals and emergency departments should provide specific forms of identification for patients with hearing loss, the Texas Medical Association emphasized to the Texas Hospital Association last year.


Far-Reaching Implications: The Ripple Effects of Texas' Uninsured Rate - 12/04/2019

Data compiled by the Texas Medical Association and other organizations, as well as physicians’ own anecdotal experiences, show how 5 million uninsured patients in Texas become 5 million dominoes. As they fall, so do countless others representing the health of Texas: The economy and well-being of entire communities. The classmates and friends of uninsured children. And yes, the physicians who deal with the burdens of treating uninsured patients in emergency rooms and providing uncompensated care.


Big Noises Big Issues: Health Care Takes Center Stage One Year Out From 2020 Election - 11/11/2019

One year from now, Texas voters will hit the polls. They’ll be voting for president, for Congress, and for seats in the Texas Legislature. At the state and national levels, health coverage, Medicaid access, and prescription drug costs have gotten plenty of attention already, and they’ll get plenty more between now and the closing of the polls on Nov. 3, 2020. Here’s a look at some of the major health care debates taking center stage during the 2020 election cycle, what voters are and will be hearing about, and what Texas Medical Association policy says on those particular issues.


November Ballot Will Decide Future of Cancer Research in Texas - 10/03/2019

Billions of dollars in cancer-fighting grants, research, and preventive care are on the line when Texas voters go to the polls on Nov. 5. Physicians and other supporters hope voters will elect to continue funding the state’s cancer-fighting agency, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).


TMA Seeks New Standards for Health Insurance Sold Across State Lines - 04/17/2018

The Texas Medical Association (TMA) is pushing for national consensus on standards to protect consumers who purchase health insurance across state lines.


The Legislative Process in Texas - 02/02/2018

The Legislature of the State of Texas is the state's lawmaking body. Its primary function is to enact laws to provide for the health, welfare, education, environment, and economic and general well-being of the citizens of Texas. It also establishes public policy through the passage of bills and resolutions and proposes amendments to the state constitution, which are then submitted to the voters for approval or disapproval.


Insurers’ Delays Burden Patients, Physicians; Could Cost Patients More - 11/16/2016

A growing number of physicians say health insurers are slow to enroll them as plan providers in the health plan’s insurance network, which spells fewer physician choices for patients and financial strife for the doctors. The process of “credentialing” — when plans contract with a doctor, finalize enrolling him or her in their system, and acquire hospital and facility privileges for the doctor — is taking twice as long as normal. Physicians say three of the state’s biggest health plans, UnitedHealthcare (UHC), Aetna, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), are delaying enrolling doctors in networks to reduce plan costs and increase the plans’ revenue.