Stories written by Emma Freer

Abbott Signals Support for Opioid Crisis Interventions - 11/18/2024

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently listed the fentanyl crisis as one of seven “emergency” items this session, clearing a path toward passage of Texas Medical Association-backed legislation that aims to curb opioid-related deaths.

Bills Threaten Medical Liability Reforms - 11/18/2024

At least two bills have the Texas Medical Association on notice for threats that aim to weaken Texas’ landmark 2003 medical liability reforms meant to protect access to care and patient safety.

Record State Budget Opens Door for Health Care Investment - 11/18/2024

The 88th Texas Legislature kicked off earlier this month, and the Texas Medical Association is already tracking nearly 700 bills, including promising proposals to reduce prior authorization requirements and concerning ones regarding scope expansion.

Closing the Gap: New Texas Network Adequacy Law Tackles Waivers - 11/18/2024

Although Texas has some of the strongest network adequacy rules in the country, poor enforcement and an overused waiver system have weakened physician practice viability and patients’ access to in-network care; thanks to advocacy by the Texas Medical Association, this will soon change.

First Steps: TMA Secures Medicaid Physician Rate Increases With Hopes for Momentum - 11/18/2024

TMA helped secure the first Medicaid physician rate increases in decades in hopes it will build momentum for future gains.

Texas' Broadband Boom: An Influx of Funds Could Turbocharge Telehealth Access - 11/18/2024

The federal government recently granted Texas $3.3 billion – the largest award of any U.S. state – to deploy and upgrade broadband networks, critical to ensuring access to telehealth care.

State Law Banning Refusal of Care to Certain Unvaccinated Patients Takes Effect - 11/18/2024

Starting Sept. 1, a new state law prohibits clinicians caring for patients enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to refuse health care services based on their vaccination status.

Patient Care Protected: Scope Creep/GME Funding - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association's top legislative priority this session was to protect independent diagnosing and prescribing as the practice of medicine and to address current workforce shortages in a way that ensures patients have access to the same standard of care, regardless of where they live.

Physician-Led Results: Scope-of-Practice Creep/GME Funding - 11/18/2024

As in most legislative sessions, TMA once again successfully defended against the myriad scope-of-practice expansion attempts that surfaced, instead advocating for and winning more sustainable solutions to the state’s physician workforce shortage, including investing in graduate medical education.

Patient Care Protected: Network Adequacy, Surprise Billing - 11/18/2024

Spurred by physician reports of insurers taking advantage of their leverage in contract negotiations, the Texas Medical Association prioritized network adequacy reform this session.

Patient Care Protected: Prior Authorization Reforms - 11/18/2024

Carrying the torch from last session, the Texas Medical Association followed up on its 2021 gold-card success with a new prior authorization reform for vulnerable patients and other insurance-related policy wins this session.

Patient Care Protected: Physician Autonomy/Corporate Practice Protections - 11/18/2024

Despite an onslaught of attempts by state government and corporate entities to undermine the patient-physician relationship, the Texas Medical Association successfully prevented any new measures criminalizing patient care this legislative session

Patient Care Protected: Medical Liability Reforms - 11/18/2024

For the 20th year in a row, the Texas Medical Association successfully defended the state's medical liability reforms, in keeping with its legislative priorities for the most recent session.

Texas House Approves Budget With Gains for Medicine, Teeing Up Senate Debate - 11/18/2024

House Bill 1 bolsters funding for graduate medical education, Medicaid physician payments, and tobacco prevention efforts, heeding TMA’s advocacy. But it remains to be seen whether these allotments will survive when the House and Senate reconcile their competing budgets.

“Gold Card” Cleanup, Network Adequacy Bills Head to House - 11/18/2024

Building on years of Texas Medical Association advocacy, two House committees cleared a pair of bills that would strengthen existing state laws and regulations by further easing health plans’ onerous prior authorization requirements and strengthening network adequacy protections.

TMA Fights Bad Insurance Bills While Pushing for Network Adequacy Protections - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association is leveraging its advocacy power against state insurance legislation that would compromise established physician and patient protections, often to the benefit of health plans, despite sometimes good intentions.

Abbott Signals Support for Opioid Crisis Interventions: Federal Efforts Also Are Underway - 11/18/2024

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in February listed the fentanyl crisis as one of seven “emergency” items this session, clearing a path toward passage of Texas Medical Association-backed legislation that aims to curb opioid-related deaths.

Scoping Out the Best Care: TMA Defends Team-Based Care Model - 11/18/2024

As expected, scores of scope expansion attempts have again crept their way into the hundreds of bills TMA is tracking; it's an issue that affects all physicians and patients, regardless of specialty or geography.

TMA Testifies on a Flurry of Public Health, Insurance Bills - 11/18/2024

As of the March 10 bill filing deadline, state lawmakers had introduced more than 9,000 pieces of legislation, establishing a new record and teeing up the Texas Medical Association’s busiest session yet.

TMA-Backed Bills Would Increase Access to Women’s Reproductive, Early Childhood Health Care - 11/18/2024

Twelve month postpartum coverage and a boost to certain Medicaid payments top a list of measures Texas lawmakers are moving on that would bolster women’s health care services, in line with the Texas Medical Association’s priorities for

TMA’s “Battle This Session” Begins: Fighting Scope Creep - 11/18/2024

As expected, several scope-of-practice expansion attempts have crept their way into the more than 800 bills the Texas Medical Association is already tracking so far this legislative session, underscoring why fighting scope creep is medicine’s top priority.

Congress Mitigates 2024 Medicare Physician Pay Cut - 11/13/2024

Congress recently passed legislation halving the 3.4% Medicare physician pay cut that took effect on Jan. 1, 2024, following a months-long, high-pressure advocacy campaign by the Texas Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and others in organized medicine. But TMA and its allies continue to push for additional reform given that any cut threatens physicians’ practice viability and vulnerable patients’ access to care.

Feds’ Response to Cyberattack Aids Physicians, But Further Measures Needed - 11/07/2024

Eligible physician practices and others impacted by the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare now may apply for accelerated and advanced payments for certain Medicare and Medicaid claims.

TMA to Start 2024 Listening Tour - 08/14/2024

The TMA Board of Trustees, leadership, and staff are hitting the road in 2024 to learn directly from Texas physicians what is working, what isn’t, and what TMA can do to ensure Texas is the best place to practice medicine.

State Plan Tackles Mental Health Coverage - 08/09/2024

Four years after the Texas Legislature passed legislation aimed to improve health plan coverage of mental health conditions and substance use disorders, a state workgroup has released a strategic plan to improve compliance with the law’s protections to put coverage of those treatments on par with other types of health care.