Changes Coming July 1 for Aetna and Cigna
Aetna and Cigna are making changes to their procedures on July 1 that will affect your practice. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 29, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
TMA Scores Long-sought Wins for Physicians and Patients
The Texas Medical Association has long beat the drum for bolstering graduate medical education, cutting red tape that hinders patient care, promoting transparent insurance markets, and preventing unqualified health professionals from delivering care outside their expertise. This was the year those and other messages got through to lawmakers and paid off in long-sought, even precedent-setting victories at the conclusion of the 2013 Texas Legislature. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 29, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
TMA Launches Physician Services Organization for Patient Care
Texas' premier physician associations have established an organization to deliver doctors the survival tools they need to provide demonstrably better and more efficient patient care and compete in today's health care marketplace. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 23, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
You're Eligible for Exclusive Savings!
I.C. System is celebrating its 75th year with a 20-percent special anniversary discount for TMA members! Call 800-279-3511 or visit I.C. System online for more information on its collection services. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 15, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
Aetna Aexcel Ranking Letters Coming
TMA's Payment Advocacy Department has learned Aetna will begin sending physicians letters informing them of their ranking in its Aexcel network in early June. The rankings take effect Jan. 1. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 15, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
CMS to Enforce Payment Transparency Law
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will explain the provisions the National Physician Payment Transparency Act, also known as the Open Payments Act or Sunshine Act, in a teleconference at 1:30 pm (CDT) on Wednesday, May 22. The act is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and requires manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologicals that participate in federal health care programs to annually report payments and items of value they give physicians and teaching hospitals. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 9, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
A Local Solution for ICD-10 Training
Physicians and medical practice staff should be working now to make sure employees, office technology, and internal operations are ready to make the switch to ICD-10 on Oct. 1, 2014. However, if you haven't started your preparations or don't know quite where to begin you're not alone. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 9, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
TMA Urges Bold Medicaid Fee Hike
Legislators should take "bold action to fix a major problem" in the Medicaid program and "increase Medicaid payments to Medicare parity for all physicians and services," Texas Medical Association President Michael E. Speer, MD, urged in a letter to House and Senate members writing the 2014-15 state budget. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 1, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
Fiery Water Skis? There's an ICD-10 Code for That!
Over the course of your career, you've undoubtedly treated countless patients suffering from burns caused by their water skis catching fire. In the past, these all-too-frequent tragedies were complicated even more by the shortcomings of an outdated and ambiguous coding standard. No longer! You'll be happy to know the new ICD-10 coding system scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, 2014, will have an ICD-10 code for that. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - May 1, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
Docbook Offers Free Telemedicine Conference Admission
TMA's mobile communication solution, DocbookMD, in partnership with Medweb, offers TMA members free admission to the exhibit hall at the American Telemedicine Association Conference in Austin, May 5-7. It's a savings of $50. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - April 30, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
Senators Want HITECH Act Reviewed
Six Republican senators voiced "significant concerns" with the government's implementation of the HITECH Act and meaningful use program in a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The letter says their concerns include "the lack of data to support the Administration's assertions that this taxpayer investment is being appropriately spent and actually achieving the goal of interoperable health IT." (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - April 30, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
CMS Delays Plan to Deny Non-Enrollees' Medicare Claims
Technical issues have delayed plans by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to begin denying claims for services ordered or referred by a physician who is not enrolled in Medicare. The denials were scheduled for May 1. CMS did not elaborate on the technical issues, or set a new deadline. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - April 25, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
State May Raise Payments to Medicaid HMOs
Texas Medical Association President Michael E. Speer, MD, says that any new money going to Medicaid HMOs should go to patient care. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - April 12, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
TMA Wins Choosing Wisely Grant
TMA, partnering with the TMA Foundation, is among 21 state and specialty medical societies and regional health collaboratives that won grants from the ABIM Foundation to advance the Choosing Wisely campaign. Support for the grant program comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - April 12, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
TMA Helps Improve Quality, Avoid Penalties
PQRS is switching from the carrot to the stick. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)
Source: Blogged_Arteries - April 12, 2013 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
