Stories written by Phil West

CMS Announces Latest Scores for Quality Payment Program - 08/22/2025

The Medicare Quality Payment Program will award a slightly higher percentage of positive payment adjustments in 2025 compared to 2024. However, the maximum will be considerably lower than last year’s.

Pharmacists’ Scope Would Expand Under Federal Bills - 08/21/2025

Under a pair of House and Senate bills, Medicare would allow pharmacists to test for and then treat four respiratory illnesses. Nearly 100 state medical associations and national specialty societies joined in opposing the potential legislation.

Texas Organization Leads Medicare Quality Improvement Program - 08/20/2025

Chronic disease management, behavioral health, and patient safety are among the priorities of a renewed Medicare program led by TMF Health Quality Institute. Prospective participants chosen can receive access to consulting services and resources.

Flood-Impacted Texas Physicians Granted New MIPS EUC Exception - 08/14/2025

In response to severe storms and flooding affecting Texas in July, physicians in impacted counties will receive automatic adjustments to their Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scores. Some physicians will still have the option to report data and receive a corresponding payment adjustment.

Digital-Age Doctors: What the 21st Century Cures Act Has Done to Change Physician Practice - 08/13/2025

Texas physicians have become more cognizant of electronic health records and innovations in augmented intelligence since the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act.

New Tool Assists with Medicaid Enrollment Challenges - 08/06/2025

Medicaid enrollment may now be easier for Texas physicians to navigate, thanks to an online tool that answers questions on the spot and lets users schedule troubleshooting appointments. TMA will monitor its performance and is seeking input from physicians who test it out.

How to Improve Patient Debt Collection Practices - 08/06/2025

TMA staff remind physicians that securing insurance information from patients before seeing them is a crucial first step in obtaining payment. They also offer advice on involving office staff and accountants in the process.

CMS Reopens Medicare Clinician Profile Review Period for Physicians - 08/04/2025

Physicians now get a second chance to review 2023 Quality Payment Program performance scores and other information made public on Medicare websites. The newly opened review period extends to Aug. 21

Tech Support: Physicians Willing to Adopt New Technologies Can Get Assistance from AI, EHRs – and TMA - 06/30/2025

The Texas Medical Association offers resources to help physicians gain greater mastery of potentially helpful technologies, including AI, EHRs, and telemedicine.

VA Seeking Refunds from Physicians for Past CHAMPVA Claims - 06/26/2025

Physicians may soon hear from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeking refunds for payments it says were made in error. TMA has provided information on what steps physicians may take.

Local Alliances Contribute More Than $250,000 in Annual Support to Future Physicians and Nurses - 06/25/2025

A scholarship once funded by a book fair in Tyler and another for Dallas County nursing students are among the longest-running local alliance programs supporting health care in Texas since the 1950s. The TMA Foundation is helping to add even more impact.

Now is the Time: Texas Delegates to AMA Make a Strong Push for Fixing What Ails Medicare - 06/23/2025

Texas Medical Association members made their voices heard at the American Medical Association’s three-day National Advocacy Conference (NAC), Feb. 10-12, 2025, calling for a long-term Medicare payment fix.

Multiple Choice: How Two APMs Are Contributing to Cost-Conscious Health Care - 06/17/2025

The Medicare Shared Savings Program and ACO REACH program provide physicians with two viable payment models incentivizing better patient care outcomes.

HHSC Extends Medicaid Revalidation Another Six Months - 06/12/2025

The state is providing physicians with additional time to take a key step in caring for Medicaid patients. It’s also providing a reentry pathway for physicians disenrolled last year.

Survey: Small, Private Practices Now Less Common - 06/10/2025

Physician practices are increasingly tied to hospitals and private equity entities, and they’re also getting larger. Those are among the key findings of the latest nationwide study conducted by the American Medical Association.

CMS Suspends Eight MIPS Improvement Activities, Announces 2025 Exception Applications Process - 05/23/2025

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services leaves 96 of the 104 traditional improvement activities available to physicians using the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. It also indicated that physicians who have completed or are in the midst of completing any of the eight suspended activities can still use them this year.

Texas Medicaid Delays Online Enrolling and Credentialing Integration - 05/22/2025

In April, the Texas Medicaid & Health Partnership had announced physicians could enroll and get credentialed in a one-stop, two-step process. The pause means the status quo remains for now.

TMA Forges New Policies on Same-Day Services, Patient Attribution in Value-Based Care - 05/16/2025

The house adopted several other payment-related policies as well, all emerging from ongoing physician frustration with payer practices that hinder patient care.

New TMA President Ignites Unity, Pledges to Fight Physician Burnout - 05/14/2025

“Doctors must be free to do what they were called to do,” Jayesh “Jay” Shah, MD, emphasized in his first speech as TMA’s president, while committing to expand physician wellness initiatives. He took over from G. Ray Callas, MD, who in his signature bold fashion pledged to carry the torch for physician-led health care.

Texas Medicaid Streamlines Physician Enrollment and Credentialing Via PEMS - 05/13/2025

TMA is prepared to help physicians troubleshoot issues with the new process, which starts May 30. The news follows TMA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of Texas physicians caring for Medicaid patients.

Where Are They Now? 15 Years of Leadership College: Brian Bruel, MD - 04/30/2025

With help from TMA’s leadership development program, Brian Bruel, MD, overcame the feeling of “imposter syndrome” to lead a statewide specialty medical society and ascend the ranks within TMA and the Harris County Medical Society. Applications are now open.

MedPAC Calls for Tying Medicare Payment to Inflation with a Permanent Update - 04/22/2025

The agency advising Congress on Medicare issues calls for a physician payment structure tied to the Medical Economic Index, in line with TMA advocacy. The recommendation calls for a permanent payment update in 2026 and beyond.

TMA Signs Letter Calling for Congress to Protect Medicaid Funding - 04/17/2025

As the U.S. House of Representatives considers $880 billion in cuts from the committee overseeing Medicaid, TMA and all 50 state medical societies detailed the impacts such a cut would make to patient care and practice viability.

Medicine Backs New Legislation Halting Latest Medicare Payment Cut - 04/14/2025

Led by physician lawmakers, the proposed legislation would cancel the most recent physician pay cut and provide some extenuating relief for the remainder of the year. TMA recently joined the American Medical Association’s national advocacy conference to take their efforts to lawmakers’ doorsteps in D.C.

TMA Calls for Increased Funding to Help TMB Address Workforce Issues - 04/09/2025

TMA President G. Ray Callas, MD, advocated for Texas Medical Board (TMB) funding, citing record numbers of physician license applications. Plus, learn the Texas House committee assignments that may influence medicine’s legislative agenda. Read more.