News

Health Insurance Market Increasingly Consolidated, Federal Report Details - 12/03/2024

Market consolidation in health insurance increased from 2011 to 2022, per a recently released federal report, with the potential to impact payment and access to care.

TMA Letter Calls Out HHSC Over Medicaid Payment Rates - 11/25/2024

TMA responded to the state’s latest proposed Medicaid rates, issuing a letter calling out the lack of an inflationary adjustment, bringing along anesthesiologists and oncologists who will specifically be affected. Read more.

DEA Extends Controlled Substance Prescribing via Telemedicine Through 2025 - 11/25/2024

Until the end of next year, physicians can continue to prescribe schedule II-V controlled substances via audio-video telemedicine visits without needing to conduct an in-person medical evaluation of the patient, per rulemaking by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Read more.

The Physicians Foundation Seeks Health Care Leaders for New, Free Training Program - 11/20/2024

The one-year, hybrid training program will teach 25 physicians from across the country how to influence health care policy development at both state and federal levels. Participation in the program includes full coverage for tuition, travel, and CME credits.

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 Leadership Encourages Legislative Relationships to Protect Medicine - 11/18/2024

To best serve medicine’s agenda in the upcoming Texas legislative session, the Texas Medical Association urges members to make and capitalize on relationships with their local representatives, as leadership previewed the likely tumultuous session ahead at the close of TMA’s Business of Medicine Conference last week.

Future Noncompete Bills Must Strike Balance, TMA Tells Texas Lawmakers - 11/18/2024

In the practice of medicine, noncompete agreements have special public policy concerns, “as their use can impact continuity of care, access to needed medical services, and patient choice of a physician,” the Texas Medical Association recently testified to the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee. That’s largely why any future bills on noncompete agreements should “strike a reasonable balance between the employer’s interests and the interests of the employee and the public.”

Legislature Examines Children’s Mental Health Ahead of 2025 Session - 11/18/2024

Texas lawmakers have made great strides in their ongoing investment in mental health services and support for children and their families, and that must continue if Texas is to improve such access to care and reduce the risk of behavioral health crises.

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.

Say No To Bill That Would Take Physicians Out Of Balance Billing - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association is fighting a bill working its way through the Capitol that would allow insurance plans to unilaterally determine payment for out-of-network billing.

TMA Leery of Proposed Balance Billing Law - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association is deeply skeptical of a state senator’s freshly filed effort to prevent physicians from balance billing patients for the services they provide. On Thursday, Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) filed Senate Bill 1264, a measure to address surprise out-of-network medical bills. The legislation emerged with no input from the House of Medicine

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.

First Tuesdays at the Capitol Are Now Virtual - 11/18/2024

This year, instead of hosting early morning in-person First Tuesdays at the Capitol events in Austin, the Texas Medical Association lobby team will take a virtual deep dive into TMA’s legislative priorities during the lunch hour. You will be able to arm yourself with the information you need to successfully advocate on behalf of health care in Texas, conveniently from your home or practice.

Legislative Hotline: TMA Recommends Multipronged Approach to Address Texas’ High Uninsured Rate - 11/18/2024

TMA is asking the Texas Legislature to consider supporting a multifaceted strategy to provide comprehensive coverage to uninsured and underinsured Texans, a population whose rolls have swelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects.  

Legislative Hotline: Moving Forward on COVID-19 – TMA Offers Recommendations to Senate Committee - 11/18/2024

In testimony before the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Austin oncologist Debra Patt, MD, recounted many of the challenges medicine faced during 2020 – and continues to face during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legislative Hotline: TMA Urges Committee to Prevent Medical Billing Tax - 11/18/2024

The Texas Medical Association went to work today in hopes of torpedoing a state medical billing tax currently scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.

Time to Strengthen – Not Weaken – the Advance Directives Act - 11/18/2024

TMA is working in support of bills that would create more clarity around do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order laws and would allow for patients and their families to have a greater understanding of the medical ethics-committee process.

Scope Expansion Bills Moving Forward. Help TMA Protect Health Care - 11/18/2024

Scope of practice will take center stage this week as the Texas Medical Association keeps its eye on and fights bad legislation that would give non-medical professionals the authority to practice medicine.

A Busy Tuesday for Medicine: Dangerous Eye Surgeries, Extended Postpartum Coverage, Prior Authorization - 11/18/2024

Organized medicine sent an army of physicians – including TMA President Diana Fite, MD – to tell senators why a bill giving therapeutic optometrists the authority to perform a lengthy list of surgical procedures is a short-sighted idea.

TMA Calling on Lawmakers to Strengthen Texas’ Vaccine Requirements - 11/18/2024

Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and they help keep people and the economy healthy. That’s the message TMA is sending to lawmakers this session as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and vaccine hesitancy and conscientious exemptions are on the rise.

As Budget Discussions Heat Up, TMA Calls For Investments in Critical Public Health Infrastructure - 11/18/2024

The extended COVID-19 public health emergency revealed numerous cracks in the state’s health care infrastructure. Throughout the current legislative session, the Texas Medical Association has been committed to patching those cracks.

House OKs Needle Exchange Pilot Program to Prevent Infectious Diseases - 11/18/2024

Under SB 967, a public health order issued by a health authority would last just seven days, expiring on the eighth day after it’s issued unless a “governing body of a municipality or the commissioners court of a county that appointed the health authority by majority vote” extends the order. TMA is recommending instead that a local elected official, like a county judge, be the one allowed to extend the order.

First Tuesdays at the Capitol Was a Virtual Success - 11/18/2024

Almost 200 physicians, medical students, and alliance advocates logged on to Zoom for the first-ever virtual First Tuesdays at the Capitol on Tuesday, which featured an in-depth briefing on TMA’s legislative agenda for this session.

TMA, Lawmakers Working to Tackle Telemedicine Parity, Prior Authorization - 11/18/2024

As one of the most unique eras of both living and lawmaking continues, attendees at TMA’s Winter Conference heard about medicine’s legislative agenda in both Austin and Washington, D.C., and how COVID-19 has helped shape this year’s legislative focus.