Stories written by Alisa Pierce

CHIP COVID-19 Copays Set to Resume in October - 09/12/2024

Physicians can begin collecting copays from Children’s Health Insurance Program members for COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatment starting Oct. 1.

CMS Ups Seasonal Flu Vaccine Payment - 09/09/2024

On Aug. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services increased payments to physicians for influenza vaccines and updated which codes physicians should use when billing for the service during the 2024-25 flu season.

BCBSTX to Require E/M Codes for Consultation Services - 09/03/2024

Starting Nov. 18, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas will no longer pay physicians for outpatient or inpatient consultations when they report those services with Current Procedural Terminology codes 99242 – 99245 and 99252 – 99255.

Ask “Dr. ChatGPT”: What Physicians Should Know About AI - 08/28/2024

Health care adviser Harvey Castro, MD, details what physicians should know about artificial intelligence.

Coding with Care: Knowing Billing Codes for Complex Care Can Maximize Revenue, Access to Care - 08/28/2024

Knowing billing codes for complex care can maximize revenue and access to care.

Aetna to Correct G2211 Payment Disparities - 08/28/2024

Aetna will correct erroneously low payments made to physicians for G2211 claims following Texas Medical Association advocacy during a meeting with the payer Aug. 2.

“Healthy Humorist” Injects a Dose of Laughter at TexMed - 08/16/2024

Physician-turned-keynote speaker Brad Nieder, MD, concluded TexMed 2023 on Saturday with an uplifting, humorous reminder that “laughter is the best medicine,” even for physicians.

Standing Tall for Independence: TMA Advocates for Private Practice - 08/11/2024

TMA continues to advocate for private physician practice amid economic headwinds.

Texas’ Maternal Initiative Seeks Experienced Physicians - 08/07/2024

In its goal of supporting best practices to improve maternal health outcomes, the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health is seeking new, volunteer faculty members to serve on two open groups.

HHS Establishes Information-Blocking Disincentives for Clinicians - 08/01/2024

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a final rule that aims to hold health care professionals, including physicians, accountable for information blocking as determined by the HHS Office of Inspector General.

UHC Expands EZ Claim Pay Service to Certain Texas Medicare Patients - 07/26/2024

As of July 1, UnitedHealthcare has expanded its EZ Claim Pay service to Texas for Medicare Supplement Plan G patients, and for those patients who enroll, physicians won’t need to bill them directly for their Medicare Part B deductible.

Open House: TMA’s House of Delegates Foster Member Engagement - 07/10/2024

Recent changes by TMA’s House of Delegates foster member engagement and address the needs of Texas physicians.

Ready to Practice: Texas Looks to IMGs to Address Workforce Shortages - 07/10/2024

Texas and other states look to international medical graduates to address workforce shortages.

CMS Advises: Check Medical Records Requests for Phishing - 07/01/2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS warns physicians to be aware of common phishing scams for medical records, such as fraudulent medical records requests faxed to practices.

Physicians Can Delegate Breach Notifications to Change Healthcare Following Cyberattack - 06/26/2024

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights announced  May 31 that covered entities – such as health plans, health care clearinghouses, and physicians – affected by privacy breaches stemming from the February cyberattack on Change Healthcare and its parent corporation UnitedHealth Group may delegate breach notifications to both companies.

G-Code Payment Frustration Persists With Inconsistent Implementation - 06/25/2024

Deepening ongoing physician concerns over Medicare’s add-on code for complex care, two major payers have either reduced payment for G2211 claims or announced plans to stop paying certain claims associated with the code altogether. Read more.

FTC Mandates Vendors Notify Patients of Breaches in Health Information - 06/24/2024

The Federal Trade Commission has amended its Health Breach Notification Rule to require vendors of personal health records and related entities not covered by HIPAA to notify individuals, the FTC, and, at times, the media, when a breach in protected health information occurs. The change will take effect July 29.

TMA Presses Congress to Preserve Independent Practice Viability - 06/13/2024

Administrative hassle, cyberattacks, and other threats to physician practice viability have caught the attention of federal lawmakers, with the Texas Medical Association weighing in heavily on the attendant impacts on physician practices following a May 23 hearing, “The Collapse of Private Practice: Examining the Challenges Facing Independent Medicine.”

Virtual Vigilance: Robust Cybersecurity Can Safeguard Practices - 06/04/2024

System blackouts. Ransom notes. Lost revenue. Compromised patient care. Once straight from physicians’ nightmares, these threats are now reality for their practices as cyberattacks infiltrate health care. The more medical practices and health care organizations fall victim to ransomware cyberattacks, the more important it becomes to prevent them.

TMA Special Funds Foundation Builds New Medical Student Scholarship After $1.1 Million Donation - 06/04/2024

Another batch of medical students will be encouraged to return to their hometowns to practice medicine thanks to a $1.1 million gift the Texas Medical Association’s Special Funds Foundation recently received – its largest individual donation – to establish a new medical student scholarship for Tarrant, Johnson, and Parker County students.

Party With a Purpose - 05/29/2024

The Texas Medical Association Foundation’s (TMAF’s) 31st annual gala, Wonderland, will feature designs and décor inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

The Waco Way: How This Addiction Medicine Specialist Targets Primary Care Challenges - 05/29/2024

How one addiction medicine specialist turned passion into practicality to target behavioral health challenges in primary care.

Speaking Their Language: TMA Payment Experts Fight for Physicians’ Best Interests - 05/17/2024

Texas Medical Association experts communicate with payers on behalf of physicians’ best interests.

New TMA Policies Aim to Strengthen Physician Workforce Pipeline - 05/14/2024

Among others, top new policies direct TMA to study ways to assist unmatched medical graduates and to advocate for increased per-resident funding to offset medical schools’ teaching costs – a rate that has not budged since 2008. Read more.

Jenny Shepherd Says “I Do” to TMAA Presidency - 05/13/2024

The longtime medical advocate became the 107th Texas Medical Association Alliance (TMAA) president at TexMed May 4.