UNDER THE ROTUNDA
Along with electricity, heat, and water, last month’s polar vortex knocked the Texas Legislature offline for a week. Once lawmakers returned to the Capitol, the Texas Medical Association got back to work pushing issues important to medicine.
On Friday, TMA submitted written testimony to the Senate Finance committee, chaired by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), which continued its discussion on the section of the proposed state budget that focuses on health and human services.
In its testimony, TMA raised its concerns over the 5% budget cuts to public health programs across the state and urged lawmakers to continue at last current funding for key initiatives.
“To continue to chip away at Texas’ taxed public health infrastructure after such a blow from the COVID-19 pandemic would be a disservice to all Texans and their health,” TMA said. “In addition to the full funding of the base budget, we support each of the department’s requests for exceptional item funding to bolster rural and frontier public health services, strengthen consumer protection and safety, and maintain effective business operations so the agency can continue to support Texans’ needed public health services.”
Specific initiatives TMA raised as critical to health care include funding for:
- Maternal health initiatives, including the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee; TexasAIM, and the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies.
- Increasing the number of highly trained staff overseeing food safety and the evolving hemp product market.
- Data and information technology upgrades such as health registries, data center services, vital statistics, and the Texas Center for Infectious Disease.
- Department of State Health Services (DSHS) satellite field offices and mobile clinics in rural and underserved areas to provide more flexibility in addressing public health concerns in difficult-to-reach areas of the state.
- The Texas HIV Medication Program, which supplies low-income Texans who are under- or uninsured with medications for the treatment of HIV and related complications.
- MedCARES, which provides grant funding to certain hospitals, academic health centers, and health care facilities to prevent, diagnose, and treat child abuse and neglect.
TMA Needs Your Voice to Reach Lawmakers
TMA’s Grassroots Action Center provides an effective way to share your opinions with legislators and educate them on the potential effects of proposed laws on your patients, your practice, and your profession.
Action Alerts are time-sensitive calls to action related to legislation that will soon be debated in the committees most frequently watched by TMA. On the House side that includes:
- Business and Industry, which meets Tuesdays;
- Human Services, which meets Tuesdays;
- Insurance, which meets Tuesdays;
- Public Health, which meets Wednesdays;
- Higher Education, which meets Thursdays; and
- State Affairs, which meets Thursdays.
When you receive an Action Alert, please respond as soon as you can and include a personal story to help lawmakers understand the impact of the bill they are debating.
Easy Ways to Get Involved in TMA Advocacy
Your participation is a vital component of our legislative success. Please help strengthen the voice of medicine by joining our advocacy efforts.
Stay up to date on TMA’s progress in the legislature. And take advantage of other opportunities to get involved with our advocacy efforts.