tions for submitting new or renewal applications on its website, www.dps


.texas.gov/RSD/ControlledSubstances /csRegistration.htm. If you need help, contact DPS by visiting www.dps.tex as.gov/rsd/contact/default.aspx. The department says it will contin-


ue to accept and process new registra- tions. New registrations issued after Aug. 20, 2015, will expire Aug. 31, 2016. New registrants must submit a com- pleted application and $25 processing fee. DPS says fees will not be prorated. Visit the DPS CSR webpage, www


.dps.texas.gov/rsd/ControlledSub stances/index.htm, for updates and additional information. TMA actively supported Senate Bill


195, which also moves the state’s elec- tronic prescription drug monitoring database from DPS to the Texas Board of Pharmacy and broadens physicians’ authority to delegate who can access the database.


Don’t miss out! Medicare pays for chronic care management


DO YOU MANAGE patient referrals and care transitions between and among physicians and health care set- tings? Do you spend time reconciling medication lists and managing pre- scription refills for your patients? Do you take calls during and after office hours to address patient care needs? If the answer is yes and you’re not bill- ing for these types of services, you’re missing out on a new CPT code and practice revenue opportunity from Medicare. In January, Medicare began paying


separately for chronic care manage- ment (CCM) services under the Medi- care Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). CCM services are non-face-to-face activities performed by you or your clinical staff to manage and coordinate the care of your patients. You’ve long provided these services at your own


expense. But now, Medicare will pay you for your time on a monthly basis. Under the Medicare PFS, CCM


services are billable using CPT code 99490 for your patients with two or more chronic conditions. Before bill- ing, you must comply with multiple requirements, including patient con- sent and the use of certified electronic health record technology. Payment is approximately $42 for a minimum of 20 minutes of qualifying care per pa- tient per calendar month. The health care industry is report-


ing a potential annual revenue as high as $75,000 to $100,000 or more per physician. TMA says the total pay- ment physicians will receive depends on the quantity of eligible Medicare patients who consent to participation, their need for CCM services, and bill- ing frequency. Read about Texas physicians who


have implemented CCM services in their practices in “Medicare Pays for Chronic Care Management,” Sep- tember 2015 Texas Medicine, pages 45–50, or visit www.texmed.org/Medi carePaysForCCM.


TMA white paper addresses copy fees for mental health records


TMA’S NEWLY UPDATED white pa- per addresses Texas Medical Board (TMB) rules regarding fees for copy- ing mental health medical records, as well as several situations in which special rules apply for charging for copies. For help obtaining this or any TMA white paper, call the TMA Knowledge Center at (800) 880-7955 or email knowledge@texmed.org. Under the Texas Health and Safety


Code, if the patient requests a sum- mary or narrative of mental health records, the mental health “profes- sional” (which includes physicians) must respond or give the patient a written reason for a refusal to disclose.


November 2015 TEXAS MEDICINE 19


Don’t miss the 2015 TMA Advocacy Retreat


Join other physician leaders from around the state Dec. 4–5, 2015, for a recap of the 2015 Texas legis- lative session and to discuss the future of Texas health care at TMA’s 2015 Advocacy Retreat. All meetings will take place at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin. For more information and to register online, visit www.texmed.org/ AdvocacyRetreat.


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