Nearing the end of his tenure as the Texas Medical Association’s 158th president, Dallas cardiologist Rick Snyder, MD, plans to keep the heart of organized medicine beating – especially among Texas’ newest medical student and physician leaders.
Although Dr. Snyder is now known for hard-hitting, long-standing advocacy efforts that have brought him into legislative chambers and regulators’ offices, his love for medicine began much earlier as a high school student while studying under his biology teacher, Janet Jones, a grand prize winner of TMA’s Ernest and Sarah Butler Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching.
Her tutelage inspired him to become a physician and to guide the next generation of medical professionals.
Adding in his own belief that advocacy is the “greatest opportunity for improving the health of all Texans,” Dr. Snyder took that charge to heart throughout his presidency, which led him to travel across the state to meet with physicians and medical students at 22 county medical societies and seven medical schools.
During those visits, Dr. Snyder reinforced the importance of organized medicine and listened to concerns about economic challenges plaguing physicians today, including health care consolidation, dwindling Medicare payments, and the rise of value-based care – trends he says make physician advocacy and TMA’s support in helping physician practices stay viable even more essential.
He brought those concerns straight to state and federal lawmakers’ doors, where he held what he what he described as “frank discussions” about these troubling trends.
“Not only do we need to make the capitol buildings in Austin and Washington as familiar as our own practices, but we also need to bring that energy to universities and medical schools,” he said. “Everything we do there ultimately boils down to bolstering two things: empowering physicians and the patient-physician relationship.”
Defending practice viability
Dr. Snyder began his term against a backdrop showing physicians now are less likely to work in private practice than they were 10 years ago because of economic, administrative, and regulatory burdens, according to a 2023 biennial analysis of physician practice arrangements by the American Medical Association.
“My installation as TMA president saw increased discussion on how to empower physicians in every setting, whether it be in a hospital; employed model; or an independent, solo practice,” he said. “These discussions become even more important as Medicare payment continues to harm practices and as non-health care entities attempt to buy those practices.”
During his tenure, TMA took steps to develop resources to help physicians keep their doors open, with committees like the Ad Hoc Committee on Independent Physician Practice and the Task Force on Alternative Payment Models, for example, meeting regularly to discuss solutions for all practice types.
A staunch advocate for Medicare payment reform, Dr. Snyder also held those “frank” conversations with members of Congress on the adoption of site-neutral payment policies and measures to catch up sorely lagging physician payments with inflation. On the latter, physicians finally saw the introduction of a bill in 2023.
Although the bill was not adopted, such moves mark progress. Dr. Snyder emphasizes physicians must continue to push for reform and seek out opportunities to speak up as potentially harmful policy decisions are made.
More work to do
Dr. Snyder has no plans to stop taking advantage of those opportunities himself.
Recently, he represented Texas physicians on the national stage at AMA as a new delegate.
“I realized that advocating with other, national levels of organized medicine allows Texas physicians to have a seat at a table we wouldn’t otherwise be privy to,” he said. “And TMA’s proven track record on long-standing issues, like medical liability and prior authorization reform, have helped strengthen the voice of not only the Texas delegation but of Texas as a whole.”
After his term as TMA president concludes at TexMed in May, Dr. Snyder plans to stay engaged in advocacy through TMA, AMA, and other platforms.
He will, for instance, continue to represent TMA on the Texas All-Payer Claim Database Advisory Group. The panel oversees a database that collects public and private health insurance claims with the goals of improving price transparency, reducing cost variation, and supporting a more competitive marketplace.
He also aims to bring attention to physicians’ most pressing issues close to home.
“I won’t stop knocking on legislators’ doors anytime soon. In fact, my wife and I are remodeling our home so we can host and bring together even more medical leaders and legislators together with the goal of improving the health of all Texans.”