Blogged Arteries

Texans Tops in Meaningful Use

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:13:00 PST

More Texas physicians are meeting federal meaningful use criteria in adopting electronic health records than in any other state, according to an analysis of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...

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TMB Starts Remedial Plan System

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:10:46 PST

The Texas Medical Board has implemented fairness provisions of a new state law -- backed by the Texas Medical Association -- that allows physicians named in complaints to resolve their cases with a...

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New Physician Leaders Take Over in El Paso

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:44:19 PST

Dr. Malone (l) administers oath of office to Dr. Applebaum The El Paso County Medical Society hosted the installation of Bruce Applebaum, MD, as its 2012 president on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012....

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Medicaid HMO Expansion: Are You Ready?

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:48:53 PST

On March 12, Texas will complete statewide expansion of the Medicaid HMO model by requiring most patients living in rural and South Texas counties to obtain their health care services from physicians...

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Meaningful Use Deadline Coming

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:45:00 PST

Physician have until Feb. 29 to register and attest to meeting meaningful use requirements to receive payments for 2011 through the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration and...

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Using an NPP in Your Practice? Do It Right

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:45:34 PST

Do you employ a nonphysician provider (NPP)? Thinking about hiring one? Attend TMA's half-day seminar Nonphysician Providers: Fundamentals of Billing and Supervision and learn to:Avoid legal...

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TDI Suspends PPO Rules

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:58:59 PST

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) suspended preferred provider benefit regulations until it adopts rules implementing legislation passed in the 2011 session of the legislature. A bulletin from...

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ICD-10: TMA Can Help Smooth the Way

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:40:00 PST

Would you rather leap from ICD-9 to ICD-10 – and risk a hard fall (that might be ICD-10 code W15.XXXA: Fall from cliff, initial encounter) – or cross over via a smooth bridge? The distance between...

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Major Insurers Still Accept 4010 Claims

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:06:41 PST

Three major insurers now say they still accept and pay physicians' claims in both the HIPAA 4010 and 5010 formats through April 1, even though Jan. 1 was the deadline for physicians to begin using...

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Dialogue: How to Save Grandma from the Big, Bad SGR?

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:33:57 PST

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-Lewisville), told Texas medicine’s leaders he sees no permanent fix this year for Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. But, appearing at the TMA 2011...

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Grandma and the Big Bad SGR!

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:48:01 PST

A huge Medicare cut looms for doctors and Medicare patients. Who might that affect? People like grandma - and those who love her, as the child in this video shows. Unless Congress acts, on Jan. 1...

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Video: Medicare is the Patients' Benefit

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:32:25 PST

TMA President Bruce Malone, MD, tells a story about a patient who feels that Medicare is his benefit and not one for doctors. His testimony occurred at the American Medical Association meeting New...

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Stop ICD-10 Now

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:56:39 PST

Speaking at the American Medical Association House of Delegates, David Teuscher, MD, of Beaumont argues why the AMA should move now to stop the federal government from requiring physicians and...

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Susan Todd Holds AMA Meeting Fundraiser

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:45:47 PST

NEW ORLEANS -- Newly announced legislative candidate Susan Todd of Fort Worth helped to kick off her campaign this evening with a well-attended fundraiser and reception at the interim meeting of the...

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Two Texas Students Nab AMA Posts

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:18:23 PST

NEW ORLEANS -- Congratulations to a pair of medical students who won election as new Region 3 representatives to the American Medical Association Medical Student Section. David Savage from The...

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Sue Takes the Gavel

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:06:10 PST

Dr. Gurman and Dr. Bailey NEW ORLEANS -- TMA Immediate Past President Sue Bailey, MD, walked to the podium today for her first session as the vice speaker of the American Medical Association...

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Texans Ask Feds to Halt ICD-10, HIPAA 5010 Requirements

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 11:01:57 PST

A sharply worded resolution the Texas Delegation is taking to the American Medical Association House of Delegates asks the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to immediately “stop...

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Tort reform worked

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:44:17 PDT

Letter to the editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Opponents of smart, common-sense legal reforms regularly release "reports" that rely on tortured data to back up their narrow view that...

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Now Playing: The Video of Doom

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:04:00 PDT

Introducing: TMA's Calendar of Doom. A panel seminar of TMA's Guide to Regulatory Compliance and Economic Survival, presented Oct. 22, 2011. The panel of physician and staff experts moderated...

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Get E-Prescribing Exemption by Nov. 1

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:26:00 PDT

Don't miss this deadline! Or any other. Visit TMA's new Calendar of Doom. Physicians have until Nov. 1 to ask for an exemption from a 1-percent cut in Medicare payments next year for not meeting...

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HIPAA 5010: Who's Exempt? Probably Not You

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:57:00 PDT

TMA President Bruce Malone, MD, (center) at the TMA HIPAA 5010 Tele-Town Hall Meeting Q. I have a small practice in a small town. Adopting HIPAA 5010 electronic standards by Jan. 1, 2012, is a...

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Modifiers 22, 52, and 53 for Medicare Claims

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:56:57 PDT

These three modifiers continue to trip up practices who use them when submitting Medicare claims. As is often the case, the key is to getting your claim paid is submitting good supporting...

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Stop the Medicare Meltdown

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:10:13 PDT

" The Texas Medical Association unveils new statewide physician survey data showing the devastating adjustments to their practice physicians would be forced to make if Congress does not act by...

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Nine Things to Do NOW to Prepare for HIPAA 5010 Conversion

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:06:25 PDT

If you do not upgrade your electronic billing systems to comply with the HIPAA 5010 electronic claims standards by Jan. 1, Medicare, Medicaid, and the commercial insurance carriers will not pay your...

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Tele-Town Hall Offers 5010 Advice

steve.levine@texmed.org (Steve Levine) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:45:46 PDT

Shannon Moore, Dr. Malone, and Steve Levine In case you missed it, here's an audio recap of TMA's Tele-Town Hall Meeting on the HIPAA 5010 electronic claims standards, recorded Sept. 22, 2011. TMA...

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