Related Stories

Majority of Nurse Practitioners Satisfied with Physician-Led Health Care - 02/25/2026

In an American Medical Association study involving hundreds of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, nearly all found discussing complex cases with physicians to be a benefit.

Medicare Judicial Dispute Threshold Increases in 2026 - 01/28/2026

Physicians who take initial steps to dispute Medicare or Medicare Advantage decisions, upon receiving unfavorable reviews, can opt for two quasi-judicial pathways to resolve the case. However, the amount in controversy in the underlying dispute must meet a minimum amount, which has risen 11% over the past four years.

Practice E-Tips on Legal Topics - 01/13/2026

TMA Practice E-Tips on Legal Topics

Medicine Whelms Nurse Scope Expansion Bill - 12/30/2025

Physicians from across the state made the trek to the Capitol to testify that House Bill 3974 would dismantle Texas’ longstanding physician-led care model and with it, patient safety. TMA and the legislature remain committed to quality solutions to the state’s access-to-care challenges.

Risk Management - 11/13/2025

Practice e-Tips on Risk Management

Six Ways to Become a Better Collaborator - 11/10/2025

Practicing successfully under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act will call for strong collaboration and communication between physicians and other members of the health care team. For many physicians, this means a culture shift. Here’s how.

Elective IV Therapy Law Tightens Physician Delegation and Oversight Guidelines - 09/09/2025

Concern about invasive medical acts performed by people without medical expertise, in settings such as “med spas” and “IV lounges,” led TMA to support the new law, which took effect Sept. 1. It provides the Texas Medical Board an additional enforcement tool and spells out more specific regulations.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Scope Creep Defense Preserves Physician-Led Care, Patient Safety - 09/04/2025

TMA's scope creep defense in the 2025 legislative session included an appeal to Gov. Abbott to veto a bill curtailing the Texas Medical Board.

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.

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.

SAFER Guides Help Safeguard Practice Operations During EHR Downtime - 08/14/2025

In case of natural disasters, cyberattacks, and more, the guides include checklists, action-based worksheets, and recommendations to help physicians reduce patient risks related to electronic health records.

Chiropractic Scope Expansion Proposed Under Federal Legislation - 05/21/2025

Federal legislation proposes changing the definition of “physician” to include chiropractors. The American Medical Association, TMA, and dozens of other medical organizations call on Congress to nix it, spotlighting patient safety risk and possible increased Medicare costs.

‘If That’s Not Expanding Scope, I Don’t Know What Is’: Bill Grants Scope Shortcut to Rural APRNs - 05/06/2025

With patient safety on the line, TMA physicians showed up in droves in opposition to Senate Bill 3055, which would give certain nurse practitioners independent practice in rural areas. Instead, physicians turned lawmakers’ attention to a new and immediate solution to Texas’ rural access shortages advancing through the legislature: Senate Bill 2695.

TMA Mobilizes Against Nurse Scope Expansion Bill - 04/11/2025

House Bill 3794 is among dozens of bills filed this session that chip away at Texas’ scope of practice laws. While for the most part TMA has stopped such bills in their tracks, by contrast, HB 3794 would open what TMA President G. Ray Callas, MD, strongly warned is a “floodgate” for independent practice by advanced practice registered nurses. TMA urges physicians to act to stop the bill.

Landmark Antitrust Settlement in BCBS Case Granted Preliminary Approval - 01/09/2025

Physicians can now file a claim in a $2.8 billion settlement fund given preliminary approval by a U.S. District Court involving Blue Cross Blue Shield. The final verdict is expected in July.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Guarding Against Scope of Practice Expansion - 01/06/2025

TMA is working to grow the physician workforce and preserve physician-led health care in Texas.

AMA Board Chair Calls on Texas to Help Secure Medicare Fix, Restore Physician Autonomy - 12/04/2024

Attendees of Texas Medical Association’s second Business of Medicine Conference heard a host of economic hurdles to physicians, but underscoring them all is the decades-long trend of decreasing Medicare physician payment, according to the American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees Chair Michael Suk, MD.

AMA President-Elect Acclaims TMA Advocacy for Scope, Prior Auth Wins - 12/04/2024

Texas physicians’ advocacy accomplishments both in the state and alongside the American Medical Association earned praise from AMA’s president-elect at the Texas Medical Association’s Leadership Summit on Jan. 27.

Senate Committee Tackles Scope of Practice in Access-to-Care Hearing - 11/18/2024

In a hearing packed with representatives from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, behavioral health, licensing boards, and academia, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee tackled Texas’ health care workforce shortages with the Texas Medical Association delivering its message loud and clear: Expanding scope of practice is not the answer to helping patients in rural and underserved areas.

TMA Considers Next Steps in Split Victory Over Payment Calculations in Surprise-Billing Arbitrations - 11/15/2024

After winning half the battle when the federal government dropped its appeal of two major components of the Texas Medical Association’s lawsuit early on, TMA is considering next steps after an appeals court upheld a portion of federal rules governing qualifying payment amount calculations in surprise-billing disputes that medicine says conflict with federal law and unfairly favor health plans.

High Court Decision Brings Favorable Wind for Physician Experts - 11/04/2024

The Texas Supreme Court has sided with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association – and by extension, with medicine – in a case that impacts physicians who testify as expert witnesses in their own defense.

With FTC Rule in Limbo, Texas Legislature to Reconsider Noncompetes - 09/20/2024

Amid a pair of conflicting court rulings – one of which blocked a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) final rule banning most noncompete clauses – the Texas Senate is pondering related legislation for the upcoming session that could impact a significant number of physicians statewide.

Court Sides With Medical Examiner in Suit Over Autopsy - 08/09/2024

With the Texas Medical Association’s help, a Harris County medical examiner has won the latest battle in a lawsuit over an autopsy he performed following a woman’s 2007 shooting death.

TMA Wins Appeal Upholding Its Challenge to Skewed Federal Surprise Billing Rule - 08/05/2024

A federal appeals court handed a victory to medicine affirming the district court’s decision to strike down federal provisions that run counter to Congress' intent for implementing a key piece of the No Surprises Act: to operate an arbitration process that does not skew dispute resolutions and unfairly advantage health plans. Read more.

High Court Decision in Nondisclosure Case A Win For Medicine - 07/31/2024

The Texas Supreme Court sided with the Texas Medical Association in a nondisclosure case that TMA warned would have significant, troubling implications had it gone the wrong way.