Ad Directory
AMA Healthier Life Steps .......................48 American Physicians Insurance Company ................................................. 44
Ardenwood Group ....................................35 Athenahealth ..............................................32 BlueCross BlueShield of Texas ...............9 Covenant Medical Group .......................... 7 Dallas Nephrology Associates ...............6 DaVita Labs ..................................................31 Frost Bank ..................................................28 Georgetown Pulmonary Associates....41 Kindred Healthcare ...................................22 Leichter Law..................................................8 Lillibridge ......................................................41 Looper Reed & McGraw ..........................43 Regions Mortgage ....................................49 Rx Security ................................................. 30 Sharp & Cobos, P.C. Attorneys at Law ....................................................... 44
Stillwater National Bank ......................... 10 Texas Chapter of American College of Physicians ............................61
Texas Department of State Health Services HIV/STD ...................................43
Texas Health Steps.....................................15 Texas Medical Association Be Wise—Immunize .............................57 Fall Conference ......................................58 HIT ...............................................................52 Home Study Course .............................37 Membership ............................................... 3 Physicians Benevolent Fund .............28 Policies & Procedures ...........................51 Practice Consulting ...............................38
Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust ...........................................................BC
Texas Medical Liability Trust ............... IFC TEXPAC ..........................................................51
Advertise for as little as $25! TMA’s website experiences nearly 320,000 visitor sessions each month. With this kind of activity, can you afford not to advertise in TMA’s online classifieds? Place and purchase your classified ad now at
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tient populations and account for se- verity of patient illness and mortality risk. This does not apply to managed care organizations (MCOs).
• Base a percentage of premiums for MCOs on quality-based measures.
• Develop quality of care and cost-effi- ciency benchmarks for MCOs.
• Give preference in contracting to MCOs that successfully implement quality initiatives or meet bench- marks. HHSC could provide financial incentives to MCOs that successfully implement quality initiatives or meet benchmarks.
Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee (TEXPAC) is a bi-partisan political action committee of TMA and affiliated with the American Medical Association Political Action Committee (AMPAC) for congressional contribution purposes only. Its goal is to support and elect pro-medicine candidates on both the federal and state level. Voluntary contributions by individuals to TEXPAC should be written on personal checks. Any corporate funds or funds attributed to individuals or professional association (PAs) that would exceed legal contribution limits will be placed in the TEXPAC administrative account to support political education activities unless a refund is requested. Federal Election Law prohibits TEXPAC from soliciting donations from persons who are not either TMA members or TMA Executive/Administrative personnel and their families. All donations received other than from these persons will be returned. Contributions are not limited to the
suggested amounts. TEXPAC will not favor or disadvantage anyone based on the amounts or failure to make contributions. Contributions are subject to the prohibitions and limitations of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Contributions or gifts to TEXPAC or any
CMS PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions or business expenses for Federal income tax purposes. Federal law requires us to use our best
efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. To satisfy this regulation, please include your occupation and employer information in the space provided. Contributions from a practice business account must disclose the name of the practice and the allocation of contributions for each contributing owner. Should you have any questions, please call TEXPAC at (512) 370- 1361.
All articles in Texas Medicine that mention Texas Medical Association’s stance on state legislation are defined as “legislative advertising,” according to Texas Govt. Code Ann. §305.027. That law requires disclosure of the name and address of the person who contracts with the printer to publish the legislative advertising in Texas Medicine: Louis J. Goodman, PhD, Executive Vice President, TMA, 401 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701.
56 TEXAS MEDICINE October 2011
• Develop and implement quality-based payment initiatives such as quality- based payments for health homes.
Ms. Kent Davis says the committee
will have at least four physician mem- bers. Other members will include repre- sentatives of health care facilities, man- aged care plans, and other stakeholders. State Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower
Mound) authored SB 7. “A healthy out- come for patients is my top priority for moving Medicaid and CHIP toward a quality-based payment system,” she said. “This type of system will also increase ef- ficiency and reduce costs.” The Legislative Budget Board (LBB)
estimates a savings of $467.6 million in the first few years after quality-based payments begin, Senator Nelson says. “I believe the savings will only go up from there by focusing on keeping patients healthy, reducing hospital infections and unnecessary tests and procedures. These savings will add up over time as quality and efficiency improve.” According to the LBB, this provision
will save $48.8 million annually by 2013, increasing to $71 million by 2016.
TMA helps child advocates gain access to medical records
Legislation backed by the Texas Medical Association is making it easier for court- appointed child advocates to get access to children’s medical records. House Bill 2488, authored by Rep.
Connie Scott (R-Corpus Christi), creates an exception to privacy provisions of the federal Health Insurance Portability
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