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TMA Legislative
News Hotline
Monday,
Jan. 26, 2009
What's on the Capitol Calendar?
Both the Texas House and Senate are in session this week. On Tuesday,
Gov. Rick Perry will give his State of the State address. The House plans to
debate and vote on its rules. And, an announcement from Lt. Gov. David
Dewhurst on committee assignments is expected as early as next week.
Call Congress on Physician Ownership in CHIP Reauthorization
The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization bill moving
through Congress now contains a real poison pill. As passed by the House, HR
2 would place very tight restrictions on physician ownership of hospitals
and health care facilities. The Senate draft of the bill does not include
those provisions.
Please contact your representative and our senators today with this message:
- Yes, reauthorize and
expand CHIP. It's a great program for hundreds of thousands of poor
children in Texas.
- At a minimum, place
no new restrictions on physician-owned hospitals already operating.
- At a minimum, place
no new limitations on physician-owned hospitals under construction.
For talking points and an easy way to reach your representative and Sens.
John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, please see the TMA Grassroots Action Center.
TMA Legislative Priority: Ensure a Single Standard of Care for All
Texans
TMA is committed to a single high standard of care for all Texans. This
means that care is centered on each patient's need and each patient receives
high-quality care by a well-trained team of professionals supervised by a
physician. We must protect the safety of Texas patients and ensure they
receive the best medical care by the best person trained to deliver that
care. Only physicians have the broad clinical expertise and training to
exercise independent medical judgment and serve as the trusted leader of the
health care team. Nonphysician practitioners are valuable members of the
health care team but are limited by their education, training, and skills as
to the level of care they can safely provide.
See all of TMA's legislative issue briefs in
the Governmental Affairs section of the TMA Web site.
First Tuesday: Only a Week Away
Pack your white coat and head to Austin on Feb. 3, March 3, April 7, or May
5 to take part in First Tuesdays at the Capitol. Don't
miss the chance to meet with lawmakers and their staff and present medicine's
case in person. Hundreds of physicians in the galleries and hearing rooms
have a powerful impact on the Texas Legislature. Sign up today.
Physicians of the Day
The physician of the day at the capitol is Richard Young, MD, of Fort Worth.
Dr. Young graduated from The University of Texas Health Science Center at
San Antonio in 1990. He is a member of TMA, the American Medical
Association, and Tarrant County Medical Society.
Hotline Available by RSS Feed
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Legislative News Hotline is now available via RSS for TMA members,
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.
Learn more about TMA’s priority issues
for the 81st Texas Legislature.
Improving
the Health of All Texans
TMA: 401 West 15th Street, Austin TX 78701 Ph: (800) 880-1300, (512)
370-1300
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