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June 7, 2015
Vol. 4, No. 39
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84th Legislative Session adjourned sine die on June
1
Chief
Governmental and Community Relations Officer
Since my last writing, several more
bills of importance to medicine finally passed and are awaiting
signature by Gov. Greg Abbott:
Senate Bill 195 -- which
would eliminate the state's Controlled Substance Registration (CSR)
permit program, effective Sept. 1, 2016; Senate Bill 202 --
which extends the life of the Texas Department of State Health
Services for another 12 years, with extensive changes to agency
operations; Senate
Bill 207 -- on the Medicaid Office of Inspector
General, improves the OIG's accountability and institutes fair rules
and processes for physicians accused of waste, fraud or abuse; Senate Bill 239 --
would establish an additional loan remittance program to medical
graduates choosing to practice as psychiatrists or other mental
health professionals in an underserved Texas county; Senate Bill 760
-- on improving oversight and accountability of Medicaid HMO's
physician networks; Senate
Bill 791 -- would increase the availability of
educational material on congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) in infants; House Bill 1621
-- on utilization review appeals, would require a 30-day advance
notice of an adverse utilization review determination involving
prescription drugs or IV infusions; House Bill 1624 -- on tougher
requirements for health plans to post accurate and up-to-date drug
formularies and network directories on publicly accessible Internet
pages; House
Bill 3519 -- would allow Medicaid to pay for home
telemonitoring services for patients with two or more specific
medical conditions and a history of frequent hospital admissions or
ER visits; and House
Bill 3781 -- would create the Texas Health
Improvement Network, a collaborative, multi-entity initiative, housed
within the UT system, to address significant health disparities in
our state.
In addition, both chambers of the
legislature approved a $203 billion state budget for the 2016-17
biennium, which includes $53 million for GME expansion grants,
appropriates $4 million for existing family medicine residency
programs and $3 million to revitalize the Statewide Primary Care
Preceptorship Program. The budget also includes significant
increases for women's health, mental health programs and tobacco
cessation programs. On the tax front, House Bill 7
includes the repeal of the $200 per year occupation tax, which
physicians and other professionals in Texas pay; and House Bill 32
cuts the state franchise tax by 25 percent.
Stay tuned to this column for more
updates as we wait to hear on bills that are signed into law or
vetoed in coming weeks. Sunday, June 21, is the last day the
governor can sign or veto bills passed during the regular legislative
session. Updates will be provided as information becomes
available.
For
local discussion on this and other legislative advocacy issues,
consider joining the BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Committee by
contacting Mary Nava.
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BCMS Call for Nominations
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Physician-members
of the Bexar County Medical Society:
This is the time of year we ask for
nominations for elected officers to lead the Bexar County Medical
Society. I would like to challenge all member-physicians to think
hard about who should be elected to impact the direction of medicine
in San Antonio and Bexar County.
We need
strong leaders. Apathy is not a strategy. Please think about who you
want to represent you to your colleagues and the outside world; let's
have multiple candidates running for every position. Practices would
be well-served to designate representative physicians from those
practices or other practices to get involved to make a difference. We
really need you! The society is only as good as the physicians you
elect to run it!
Thanks,
Steve Fitzer
CEO/Executive Director
Bexar County Medical Society
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BCMS
SUPPORTS A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS SPONSOR AT THE GOLD LEVEL
BioMedical
Waste Solutions
Gold-level
Circle of Friends sponsors contribute $5,000 or more to
BCMS annually.
Support
our sponsors; our sponsors support us!
Thank you to our BCMS Circle of
Friends sponsors! This information is sent on behalf of a valued
sponsor at the gold level, but it is not an endorsement. Donations
from Circle of Friends sponsors help keep down the cost of dues and
allow BCMS to continue to provide quality service to its members. The
society continues its pledge to you and only will involve itself in
services and programs that benefit you, the member, and your patient.
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Bexar County
Medical Society
6243 I-10 West,
Suite 600
San Antonio, TX
78201
210-301-4391
www.bcms.org
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The
Weekly Dose is a service of the
Bexar County Medical Society.
Some
of the suggestions conveyed may not be applicable to your practice
today,
but
the goal is to offer information over time that returns value
in
excess of the cost of your membership.
If
you would like to recommend future topics to share with your colleagues,
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rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
Copyright
© 2015 Bexar County Medical Society, San Antonio, Texas.
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