TMA Legislative
News Hotline
Wednesday, April
29, 2009
To ensure our emails reach
your inbox, please add tmainfo@texmed.org to your address book.
Only 33 days left in the 2009 legislative session
Texas Medical Board Bill Passed
The Public Health Committee passed HB 3816 by Rep. Fred Brown (R-College
Station) as substituted. The measure passed 10-1. The legislation relates to
the power and duties of the Texas Medical Board. TMA has been working with
medical board leaders and legislators to improve the bill. The legislation
now moves on to the House Calendars Committee.
CHIP Bills Passed
The Senate Finance Committee passed legislation that would allow families
at 200 to 300 percent of the federal poverty level to buy into the Children's
Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The measure, SB 841 by Sen. Kip Averitt
(R-Waco), passed 12-2.
The House Human Services Committee passed HB 1541 by Rep. Sylvester Turner
(D-Houston) that would strengthen outreach and educational initiatives to
help people apply for social services, including Medicaid and CHIP.
Smoking Ban Left Pending
Yesterday, the bill that would ban smoking in all public workplaces was
left pending in the House State Affairs Committee. Lewis Foxhall, MD, a
family medicine physician from Houston, member of TMA's Council on
Legislation, and chair of the TMA Ad Hoc Committee on Insurance and Managed
Care, testified in
support of the measure for TMA. Dr. Foxhall told committee members that
banning smoking in public work places is one of the single most important
things the legislature can do to make a meaningful, lasting improvement in
the health of all Texans. This measure is one of TMA's legislative priorities.
Good News: Health Insurance Reform Bills Moving
TMA's Health Insurance Facts Label bill continues to move through the
legislative process. SB 815 by Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin), which
requires a standardized format in health plan marketing materials that allows
an "apples-to-apples" comparison of health insurance coverage, is
recommended for the Senate Local and Uncontested Calendar today. This is part
of TMA's Patients' Right to Know campaign.
TMA's other piece of health insurance legislation, the Code of Conduct, SB
1257 by Sen. Kip Averitt (R-Waco), is still waiting for a committee report to
be filed so it can be eligible for the Senate Intent Calendar.
The House Insurance Committee passed HB 1342 by Rep. Jose Menendez (D-San
Antonio) that requires health plans to provide pertinent patient coverage
information at the time of service.
Texas Swine Flu Public Health Alert
Gov. Rick Perry has declared a statewide "precautionary state of
emergency" that allows Texas to implement emergency protective measures
and seek reimbursement for protective measures associated with the state's
response to the swine flu outbreak." Late yesterday, public health
authorities in Houston confirmed the swine flu virus in a 22-month-old boy
from Mexico City who died earlier this week in a Houston-area hospital.
"There's no need to panic," Governor Perry said. "The state
level of preparedness is at the appropriate level."
To keep members informed of the latest news and clinical suggestions,
we've established a swine flu resource center on
the TMA Web site. We will keep it up to date so you can stay up to date and
answer your patients' questions.
As of now, all plans for TexMed 2009 in Austin this week are
"go." TMA is closely monitoring the spread of swine flu in Texas
and has prepared contingency plans in case we need to make any last-minute
changes to the conference or its programs. However, to protect the front-line
caregivers of Texas, TMA asks anyone who has flu-like symptoms not to come to
TexMed 2009. We will miss you, but we understand it is to protect the
health of Texans. If you cannot come for this reason, please e-mail the TMA
Knowledge Center.
When Physicians Talk, Lawmakers Listen
"All politics is local," the old saying goes. That's only true,
though, when the folks back home keep reminding their elected leaders in
Austin and Washington, D.C., what's important to them. By taking the time to
call, write, or visit your senators and representatives, TMA physicians
magnify the strength of our lobby team. Only with that kind of grassroots
support, can we kill off or amend the bad bills and pass the ones that are
good for medicine and patients. As the 2009 Texas Legislature enters its
crucial, final month (watch the video), it
is important to keep up the support - it works.
Patients' Right to Know Materials at Your Door
TMA launched a grassroots campaign in
March to call on patients and physicians to help make health insurance more
accessible and transparent. To help educate and engage your patients about
the effort, we produced materials for posting in your office and exam rooms.
You will receive a poster, bumper sticker, and prescriptions pads. The
materials are being sent directly to your office.
You and your patients also can join the campaign on Facebook. Join
the Patients' Right to Know cause.
Invite your Facebook friends to join, as well. Among other tools, TMA created
www.MeAndMyDoctor.com, a Web site with a
grassroots action center where patients can write their legislators in
support of health insurance reform bills. Their state legislators need to
hear directly from you and your patients so important health insurance reform
measures move out of House and Senate committees.
Physician of the Day
Luis Benavides, MD, a family physician from Laredo, is today's physician
of the day. He graduated from The University of Texas Health Science Center
at San Antonio in 1978. He is a member of TMA, AMA, and Webb-Zapata-Jim Hogg
County Medical Society. The Physician of the Day program is coordinated by
the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
Hotline Available by RSS Feed
Get your daily dose of TMA's legislative news via RSS feed. TMA
Legislative News Hotline is now available via RSS for TMA members and
their office staff, and TMA Alliance members. To subscribe, see the RSS Feeds page of the TMA Web site.
Once there, you can download an RSS reader, such as Feedreader, Sharpreader,
Sage, or NetNewsWire Lite. You also can subscribe to the RSS feeds for TMA
news releases; Texas Medicine magazine; TMA Practice E-Tips;
and Blogged Arteries, the feed for our Action newsletter.
Improving the Health of All
Texans
TMA: 401 West 15th Street, Austin TX 78701 Ph: (800) 880-1300, (512) 370-1300
Copyright 1999-2009 Texas Medical Association All Rights Reserved
TMA
Web site Privacy Statement TMA Contacts
How
to Find It RSS Feeds
Unsubscribe from TMA Legislative News Hotline or e-mail TMA's
Division of Communication.
Subscribe to the weekly version of TMA
Legislative News Hotline.
|
