2008 TMA Winter Conference
Saturday, Feb. 2, 7:30 am-1:15 pm
About the Conference
The Texas Medical Association’s Fall Conference provides a platform for TMA leadership to conduct business and participate in CME-accredited programming on emerging health care issues, along with topics related to personal and professional development. We anticipate an audience of approximately 400 leaders representing Texas physicians in all specialties.
Stagnant or declining reimbursement combined with increasing practice costs have left Texas physicians troubled about the economic viability of their practices. These financial concerns threaten both the quality of and access to health care for Texas patients. The 2008 Winter Conference will take a micro and macro look at issues that affect the viability of physician practices.
Dawn Duster: 7:30-9:45 am
Benchmarking Your Revenue Cycle
Deborah Walker Keegan, PhD, FACMPE, President, Medical Practice Dimensions
Get practical advice on how to calculate, benchmark, and analyze your practice's key revenue cycle performance indicators. We'll highlight claim denial rates, billing office costs, and specialty-specific benchmarking data for all aspects of the revenue cycle.
General Session: 10 am-11:30
Opening Remarks (10-10:10 am)
William H. Hinchey, MD, President, Texas Medical Association
The Future of Health Information Technology (10:10-10:30 am)
Ronald M. Davis, MD, President, American Medical Association
The State of Health Care: From the Payer’s Perspective (10:30-11:30 am)
Moderator: Keith A. Bourgeois, MD, Chair, TMA Council on Socioeconomics
Martin G. Foster, President/CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (invited)
Jeff Cook, CEO, Central Texas Health Plan, United HealthCare (invited)
David Toomey, President, CIGNA Healthcare of Texas (invited)
Leaders representing three of Texas' largest health plans will share their perspectives on consumer trends, new regulations and disclosure requirements, technology, quality, and how this will affect their physician networks.
Conference Luncheon: Noon-1:15 pm
The Bright Hope of Medicine: Recent Lessons in Quality and Costs
David Goodman, MD, MS, Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice has been conducting some of the most thought-provoking research lately concerning the linkages between the amount of medical services patients receive and their health outcomes. Hear one of the leading Dartmouth researchers provoke your thoughts.
For additional information visit the TMA website at www.texmed.org
TMLT Announces 7.5% Rate Reduction and 20% Dividend Effective January 2007
The Board of Governors of Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) has declared a 20% dividend amounting to approximately $35 million for 2006 effective January 1, 2007 for renewing TMLT policyholders. Dividends will be credited to each policyholder’s premium as a lump sum when his or her policy renews in 2007.
In addition, the Trust will be reducing rates 7.5% for all specialties across the state beginning January 1, 2007. Current TMLT policyholders will receive this rate decrease when their policy renews.
TMLT has now reduced annual rates four times since the passage of House Bill 4 and Proposition 12—12% in 2004; 5% in 2005; 5% in 2006; and now 7.5% in 2007, a total of 29.5% in four years. By the end of 2007, TMLT’s rate reductions, since 2004 will amount to nearly $139 million and returned dividends of 25% will amount to nearly $45 million. Since the passage of Prop 12 and medical liability reform of 2003, TMLT policyholders will have realized cumulative savings of over $180 million.
Non-meritorious claims intake is down as a result of the medical liability reform achievements in 2003. TMLT believes the legal environment will continue to improve as long as 2003 tort reform measures remain in effect.
Because of TMLT’s recent earnings and strong surplus position, physician policyholders can share in the organization’s success in the form of rate reductions and dividends.
TMLT is the state's largest medical liability insurance provider, serving approximately 50 percent of active practice Texas Medical Association (TMA) member physicians - or nearly 13,800 Texas doctors. A physician must be a member of the TMA to apply for coverage with TMLT.
The Trust is not-for-profit and is physician-owned. TMLT is endorsed by the Texas Medical Association as well as a number of county and specialty medical societies. TMLT is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
New Website to Prepare for Disasters
A new website to help our community be prepared for disasters is located at www.readysouthtexas.gov. Here is the description from the site:
Homeland security is no longer solely law enforcement's responsibility. It calls for a collaborative effort among citizens, corporations and the government.
Terrorists are working to obtain biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological weapons. The threat of an attack is very real. The City of San Antonio, Bexar County and Comal County are working with the Governor's Division of Emergency Management and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to strengthen local and national security. Whenever possible, we want to stop terrorist attacks before they happen.
All Americans should begin a process of learning about potential threats so we are better prepared to react during an attack. While there is no way to predict what will happen, or what your circumstances will be, there are simple things you can do now to prepare yourself and your loved ones.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Fact Sheet
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has assembled a fact sheet for use in physicians' offices regarding the new transition policy, as well as the exceptions and appeals process for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit. This resource fact sheet is designed to provide ready-links to tools that will streamline the prescribing process under the new benefit. CMS continues to work with physicians, pharmacists, patients and Part D plans to simplify and standardize the information that physicians need to provide to plans. The URL for the Physician Fact Sheet is http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedlearnProducts/downloads/Part_D_Resource_Factsheet.pdf
There is also a lot of resources for physicians on the provider web site at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/provider.asp where offices can get access to direct phone numbers to the plan’s coverage determination people, as well as copies of model forms that will help speed the process.
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