86th Texas Legislature Letters and Testimonies

TMA physician leaders are already working tirelessly on behalf of their profession and their patients to improve Texas health care system. 

During this legislative session, TMA councils and committees are laser-focused on promoting health care policies to ensure Texas patients have access to affordable and high quality health care. Here are TMA’s testimonies, comments, and letters to state lawmakers.

Medicine's Recommendations on House Bill 1, 2020-21 Texas State Budget

As much as we value investing in the state’s public education system, we also keenly support boosting the health and well-being of Texans. Education and health care are different sides of the same coin. One without the other will not lead to lasting prosperity for our patients and communities, or for the state. Read more ...

Aging 

• Safeguarding Long-Term Care Facility Residents
  (Written Interim Comments on COVID-19 in LTCFs, Sept. 25, 2020)
•  Include Physicians on Long-Term Care Facilities Council
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bill 1519, April 10, 2019)
•  Streamline Informed Consent for Nursing Home Residents
  (Testimony on House Bill 2050 by Michael Krol, MD, March 19, 2019)
• Fighting Antibiotic Resistance and Infectious Disease in Long-Term Care Facilities 
   (Testimony on House Bill 1848 by Michael Krol, MD, March 12, 2019)

Border Health

• Improve Health in Border Communities
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bills 1119, 1121, 1312, and 1313, April 9, 2019)

Corporate Practice of Medicine 

• Preventing Retaliation Against Whistleblower Physicians
  (Testimony on House Bill 1532 by Tim Bittenbinder, MD, March 20, 2019)

Graduate Medical Education/Workforce 

• Texas Must Continue to Invest in GME
  Continue state support for the following critically important GME capacity-building and -sustaining programs (Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, Article III, Sept. 30, 2020)
•  Create Rural Training Tracks for Texas Physicians 
   (Written Testimony on House Bill 1065, May 1, 2019)
•  Make Sure GME Capacity Mirrors Enrollment Growth
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 1378 by Cynthia Jumper, MD, March 27, 2019)
• Help Texas Train Rural Physicians
  (Testimony on House Bill 1065 by Tim Benton, MD, March 6, 2019)
• Fully Fund GME So Texas-Educated Doctors Can Practice Here 
  (Testimony to Senate Finance Committee: Feb. 12, 2019 and Testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article II: by Cynthia Jumper, MD, Feb. 18, 2019)

Health Information Technology 

• Secure Patients’ Protected Health Information
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 2191, March 20, 2019)

Health Insurance  

• Waive Budget Neutrality Requirements for a Year
   (Interim Written Comments on HR 8505, Oct. 26, 2020)
•  Driving Down the Cost of Health Care in Texas
  (Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, Select Committee on Statewide Health Care Costs, Oct. 1, 2020)
• Drug Price Transparency, Balance Billing, and Coverage
  (Written Comments on Interim Charge 1 House Committee on Insurance, Sept. 8, 2020)
•  Fix Surprise Billing and You’ll Fix the Need to Report Collections
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bill 1037 by Jason Terk, MD, April 23, 2019)
• Medical Debt and Credit Reports
  (Testimony on House Bill 2732 by David Bryant, MD, April 16, 2019)
• Transparency in Prior Auth and Physician Referrals
  (Testimony on House Bill 3828 by John Flores, MD, April 16, 2019)
•  Eliminate Prior Auth for In-Network Physicians
  (Testimony on House Bill 3232 by John Flores, MD, April 16, 2019)
•  Require Network Directory Accuracy
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 1742 by Rick Snyder, MD, April 9, 2019)
• Require Timely Updates to Network Directories
  (Testimony on House Bill 1880 by John Scott, DO, April 9, 2019)
• Protecting Patients From Balance Bills
  (Testimony on House Bill 2967 and House Bill 3933 by Ray Callas, MD, April 2, 2019)
• Enforce Network Adequacy
  (Testimony on House Bill 3911 by Ray Callas, MD, April 2, 2019)
• Prohibit PA on Mandated Benefits
  (Testimony on House Bill 2408 by Debra Patt, MD, March 26, 2019)
• Bring Transparency to Prior Authorization
  (Testimony on House Bill 2327 by Doug Curran, MD, March 26, 2019)
• Utilization Reviews Should Be Done by Texas-Licensed Physicians
  (Testimony on House Bill 2387 by Doug Curran, MD, March 26, 2019)
• Plans Should Inform Patients of Network Status When Requiring PA
  (Testimony on House Bill 2520 by Debra Patt, MD, March 26, 2019)
• Plan Directories Should Cross-Reference Physician Network Status
  (Testimony on House Bill 2630 by Rick Snyder, MD, March 26, 2019)
• Prevent Non-Medical Switching by Plans
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 2099, March 26, 2019)
• Protect Patients From Inadequate, Narrow Networks
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 1264 by Jason Terk, MD, March 21, 2019)
• Expand Access to Care to All Texans Who Need It
  (Testimony on House Bill 565 by Doug Curran, MD, March 5, 2019)  

Liability

• Preserve Physician Liability Protections in Emergencies
  (Testimony on House Bill 2362 by Moss Hampton, MD, April 1, 2019)

 Medicaid/CHIP  

• Moms and Babies Need Comprehensive Health Care Coverage 
  (Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, House Public Health Committee, Oct. 16, 2020)
•  Let's Work Together to Strengthen Rural Health
  (Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, House Committee on Public Health, Oct. 16, 2020)
•  Renew and Strengthen Texas' Medicaid 1115 Waivers  
  (Written Comments on Interim Charge 2, Article II: Review how Texas is preparing for state and federal budgetary changes that impact the state's health programs, including: the Family First Prevention Services Act; the next phase of the 1115 Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Waiver; Texas’ Targeted Opioid Response Grant; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability rule, and the Healthy Texas Women Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver. Interim - Sept. 30, 2020)
• Support Early Childhood Brain Development with an Enhanced ECI Program
  (Written comments on the Charge No. 5 request for information: Examine state investments in the health and brain development of babies and toddlers, including Early Childhood Intervention and other early childhood programs for children in the first three years. Evaluate opportunities to boost child outcomes and achieve longer-term savings today on the vital importance of the ECI program for some of Texas’ most at-risk and vulnerable infants and toddlers. A Child’s. Interim - Sept. 30, 2020)
• Make Medicaid Managed Care More Efficient
  (Testimony on House Bill 4178 by Doug Curran, MD, April 9, 2019)
• Improve Access to MAT for Medicaid Patients
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 3286, April 9, 2019)
•  Make it Healthier to Be a Mom in Texas – Expand Access to Care
  (Testimony on House Bill 744 by Moss Hampton, MD, March 19, 2019)
• Children Eligible for Medicaid Need Continuous Coverage 
  (Testimony on House Bill 342 by Ben Raimer, MD, March 12, 2019)
• Protect the Reproductive Health of Texas’ Young Women 
  (Testimony on House Bill 800 by Celia Neavel, MD, March 6, 2019)
• Expanding Access to Care Saves Lives - and Money 
  (Testimony on Article II by Doug Curran, MD, Feb. 11, 2019)
• Improve Access to Care for Working Texans 
  (Written Testimony on Article II, Feb. 6, 2019)  

 Public Health  

• Safeguarding Long-Term Care Facility Residents 
  (Written Interim Comments on COVID-19 in LTCFs, Sept. 25, 2020)
• Save Lives: Promote Firearm Safety and Education, Patient-Physician Communication
  (Testimony by Alan Tyroch, MD to House Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention, Jan. 9, 2020)
•  Protect First Responders by Providing Immunization Access
• (Testimony on House Bill 1256 by Thomas Kaspar, MD, April 30, 2019)
• Help First Responders Stay Informed About Vaccination Status
  (Testimony on House Bill 1418 by Thomas Kaspar, MD, April 30, 2019)
• Addiction Treatment Helps More Than Incarceration
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bill 1147, April 24, 2019)
•  Don’t Punish Physicians For Practicing Patient-Centered Medicine
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 2351 by Mai Duong, MD, April 23, 2019)
• Streamlining Newborn Screening Consent
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 1404 by Mai Duong, MD, April 23, 2019)
•  Keep Water Safe for Schoolchildren
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 997, April 16, 2019)
• Incentivize Texas-Grown Produce in the SNAP Program
  (Testimony on House Bill 3541 by Ryan Lowery, MD, April 16, 2019) 
• Protect Texas Youth From Powdered Alcohol
  (Testimony on House Bill 1610 by Maria Monge, MD, April 16, 2019)
• Improve Firearm Safety Awareness to Prevent Accidents and Suicide
  (Testimony by Cedric Dark, MD on SB 1573 to Senate Criminal Justice Committee, April 9, 2019)
•  Protect Babies – Cover Newborn Screening Tests
• (Testimony on House Bill 2582 by John Carlo, MD, April 9, 2019)
•  Don’t Eliminate Fitness Assessments in Schools
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bill 1376, April 4, 2019)
• Medical Homes Are Essential For Children’s Health Care
  (Testimony on House Bill 3458 by Ben Raimer, MD, April 4, 2019)
• Allow Peace Officers to Administer Epinephrine
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bill 1827, April 4, 2019)
• Syringe Service Programs Stop Spread of Disease
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 1722, April 4, 2019)
• Syringe Service Programs Are Important to Public Health
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 75, April 3, 2019)
• Improving Awareness of Firearm Safety
  (Testimony on House Bill 3054 by Doug Curran, MD, March 26, 2019)
• Secure Patients’ Protected Health Information
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bill 944, March 26, 2019)
•  Preserve Texas’ Newborn Screening Program
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 747 by Jason Terk, MD, March 21, 2019)
• Raise Awareness For Suicide Prevention
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 316, March 20, 2019)
• Protect Physician Volunteers in a Disaster
  (Testimony on House Bill 1353 by George Santos, MD, March 18, 2019)
• Prevention of Opioid Abuse Through Education
  (Testimony on House Bill 405 by John Isaac, MD, March 13, 2019)
• Protecting Children in Day Care From Anaphylaxis
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 1849, March 13, 2019)
• Keep Kids Active to Keep Them Healthy
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 952 by Kimberly Avila Edwards, MD, March 12, 2019)
• Give Kids Entering Foster Care a Fighting Chance
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 355 by Louis Appel, MD, March 5, 2019)
• Strengthen the Newborn Screening Program
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 748 by Charleta Guillory, MD, March 5, 2019)
• Support the Texas Early Childhood Intervention Program 
  (Testimony on Article II by Marjan Linnell, MD, Feb. 19, 2019)
• Support Foster Care Children’s Caregivers 
  (Testimony on FFPSA by Rachael Keefe, MD, MPH, FAAP, Feb. 19, 2019)
• CPRIT Saves Lives - Extend Its Life 
  (Written Testimony, Feb. 13, 2019)
• Meet Texas’ Critical Public Health Needs 
  (Testimony on DSHS Funding by Thomas Kim, MD, Feb. 12, 2019)

 Child Abuse and Neglect 

• “Conversion Therapy” Is Not Evidence-Based Care
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 517, May 1, 2019)
• Improving Trauma-Informed Care for Children
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 2368 and House Bill 1536, March 26, 2019)
• We Must Protect All Children From Sexual Abuse, Not Just Some Children
  (Testimony on House Bill 85 by Celia Neavel, MD, March 18, 2019)
• Helping Teachers Protect Children From Abuse and Neglect 
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 111, Feb. 19, 2019)
• Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect 
  (Written Testimony on DFPS Funding, Feb. 13, 2019)
• Fund Programs to Address and Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect 
  (Testimony by James Lukefahr, MD, Feb. 12, 2019)
• Prevent and Address Childhood Trauma to Preserve Families 
  (Interim Testimony by Marjan Linnell, MD, Nov. 13, 2018)
• Trauma-Informed Care and Early Identification Will Improve Child Mental Health Treatment 
  (Interim Testimony by Marjan Linnell, MD, May 17, 2018) 

 Immunization

• Keep Kids Safe – Make School Vaccine Rates Available
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 329 by Mai Duong, MD, April 23, 2019)
•  Make It Easier for First Responders to Know Their Vaccination Status
  (Testimony on House Bill 1418 by Ray Callas, MD, March 20, 2019)
• Help First Responders Know They’re Protected From Infectious Diseases
  (Testimony on House Bill 1256 by Ray Callas, MD, March 20, 2019)
• Don’t Cut Critical Vaccines’ Reimbursement Rates 
  (To HHS, Feb. 11, 2019)

 Maternal Health 

• Moms and Babies Need Comprehensive Health Care Coverage 
  (Written Comments on Interim Charge 1, House Public Health Committee, Oct. 16, 2020)
• Improving Birth Outcomes by Designating Facility Levels of Care
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 749 by Doug Curran, MD, May 1, 2019)
• Allow Pregnant Moms to Take Their Kids to Medical Appointments
  (Testimony on House Bill 25 by Moss Hampton, MD, April 30, 2019)
• Improve Access to Maternal Health Care
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 750 by Eugene Toy, MD, March 5, 2019)
• Strengthen Maternal Mortality Data Reporting
  (Written Testimony on Senate Bill 559, March 5, 2019)
• Maintain Level of Care Standards for Neonatal and Maternal Hospitals
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 749 by Eugene Toy, MD, March 5, 2019)  
• Improve Maternal Health by Expanding Access to Care
  (Testimony by Emily Briggs, MD,  Feb. 6, 2019)

 Mental Health

• Integrating Mental and Physical Health
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 10, May 7, 2019)
• The Texas Mental Health Care Consortium Will Benefit Texas Children
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 10 by Nhung Tran, MD, May 1, 2019)
• Improving Children’s Access to Mental Health Care
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 10 by Anne-Marie Hain, MD, May 1, 2019)
• Texas Needs HB 10 and the Texas Behavioral Health Research Institute
  (Testimony on House Bill 10 by Uchenna Umeh, MD, Feb. 27, 2019) 
• Fund the Safe and Healthy Schools Initiative 
   (Written Testimony on Article III, Feb. 20, 2019)
• Fund Texas’ Mental Health Services 
  (Testimony on SUD by James Halgrimson, DO, Feb. 19, 2019)
• Support the Texas Mental Health Care Consortium 
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 10 by Nhung Tran, MD, Feb. 12, 2019)

 Tobacco and Vaping

• Raise Taxes on Vape Products to Decrease Youth Usage
  (Comments on House Bill 4013, House Bill 3364, and House Bill 1144, April 9, 2019)
• Protect Texas’ Youth – Raise the Smoking and Vaping Age
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 21 by John Carlo, MD, March 18, 2019) 
• Protect Texas’ Youths – Raise the Smoking Age to 21
  (Testimony on House Bill 749 by Doug Curran, MD, March 6, 2019)

Scope of Practice

• Prohibit Chiropractors From Practicing Neurology
  (Testimony on Senate Bill 1867 by Sara Austin, MD, April 30, 2019)
• Stop APRN Scope Expansion
  (Testimony on House Bill 1792 by Dara Grieger, MD, April 4, 2019)
• Chiropractors Are NOT Neurologists – Don’t Expand Their Scope
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 2733, April 4, 2019)

Taxes

• Will Tax Incentives Spur Medicaid Care?
  (Written Testimony on House Bill 453, April 9, 2019)

TMB  

• TMA Urges TMB to Adopt More Transparency in Its Operations Sunset Advisory Commission 
  (Interim Testimony by Carlos J. Cardenas, MD, April 25, 2018)

85th Texas Legislature Testimonies and Letters 

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