Legislation Chair Dawn Buckingham, MD, along with Senators Schwertner and Donna Campbell, MD (R-New Braunfels).
“GETTING AFTER” THE RED TAPE Other key victories for medicine will go a long way to cut the red tape that takes valuable physician time and money away from patient care. “We’re getting after it,” Dr. King said. After another multisession effort by TMA, DPS backlogs finally will be a
thing of the past, thanks to Senate Bill 195 by Senator Schwertner. Effective Sept. 1, 2016, the state’s CSR permit program will cease to exist, and physicians will need only their federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration to prescribe controlled substances. The CSR backlogs were a nightmare for many physicians who saw their pre-
scribing and hospital privileges — and their patients’ care — temporarily sus- pended because DPS did not process their permits on time. TMA made headway in the 2013 legislative session with a bill to synchronize CSR permit renewal with physicians’ medical license renewal as of Jan. 1, 2014. But DPS did not fol- low through. As an otolaryngologist treating cancer patients in serious pain, Dr. King says
the threat of losing his prescribing ability “would be disastrous.” The CSR elimination is part of a larger shift under SB 195 to move the state’s
electronic prescription drug monitoring database entirely from DPS to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. TMA, pharmacy groups, and business groups advo- cated moving the Prescription Access Texas program to a health-related agency, and the board has until March 1, 2016, to create rules. “This move will create significant improvements for doctors,” TMA Director
“We also have to systematically look at how we deliver mental health care services. That didn’t get as much attention this time around.”
of Legislative Affairs Dan Finch said. Beyond just a law enforcement tool, the shift “will make the database a better clinical tool with more timely and accu- rate data.” Among other enhancements: electronic alerts of suspicious activity; out-of-state data; and a broadening of physicians’ authority to delegate who can access the information. (See “Making Over PAT,” March 2015 Texas Medicine, pages 37–41, or
www.texmed.org/MakingOverPAT.) Physicians also will have fewer hassles identifying health plans sold on the
federal exchange. TMA-backed House Bill 1514 by Rep. J.D. Sheffield, DO (R- Gatesville), requires insurers to clearly differentiate whether patients bought coverage through the ACA marketplace by displaying the letters “QHP” on their plan identification cards. If signed by the governor, the bill takes effect Sept. 1. Contrary to consumer groups’ contention that the legislation labels and discriminates against patients with certain coverage, TMA lobbyist Patricia Kolodzey says the measure gives physicians an opportunity to educate patients about the benefits and limitations of the insurance coverage they purchase. About 85 percent of policies sold on the exchange qualify for a federal 90-day grace period, triggered once a patient with subsidized marketplace coverage misses a premium payment. Health plans must give patients 90 days to catch up, but they can recoup physician payments made in the latter 60 days of that grace period if patients are still delinquent on their premium payments. Austin neurologist and TMA Council on Legislation member Sara G. Austin,
MD, says HB 1514 allows her to communicate with patients about the impor- tance of paying their premiums and to plan treatment accordingly, particularly long-term treatment. “Many of these exchange plans have very narrow networks, and the people
who are buying these plans are very new to insurance. They’ve had a headache for a long time and make an appointment with me but have no idea if I’m in their network, and it’s hard for us to tell,” she said. “Having it marked clearly lets us
August 2015 TEXAS MEDICINE 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76