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TMA Action Sept. 1, 2010	News and Insights from Texas Medical Association
INSIDE: Six Things to Know About Medicare ACOs
Confused? TMA Demystifies Health Reform Six Things to Know About Medicare ACOs Big Changes Start Sept. 23 TMLT Cuts Rates, Declares Dividend Judge Sides With Physicians Again Electronic Death Register Avoids TMB Fine New Program Helps Impaired Physicians Lace Up Your Sneakers for Medicine New TMA Campaign Promotes Flu Shots	CDC: Everyone Needs a Flu Shot Immunization Summit Set for Fort Worth ImmTrac Updates Shot Scheduler TMA Fall Conference Oct. 15-16 Give Kids Bike Helmets in October Survey: Charity Care Drops Slightly This Month in Texas Medicine Do You Twitter? Follow TMA
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Confused? TMA Demystifies Health Reform If you're confused about the new health system reform law and its many new provisions, you're not alone. That's why TMA will host its second Tele-Health Reform School next month. Read the rest of the story... Six Things to Know About Medicare ACOs The health system reform law establishes a new breed of health care delivery system called accountable care organizations (ACOs). Read the rest of the story... Big Changes Start Sept. 23 Several provisions of the new health system reform law take effect Sept. 23. Read the rest of the story... TMLT Cuts Rates, Declares Dividend Tort reforms that TMA and its allies worked so hard to achieve in 2003 continue to pay off for physicians as the Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) cut liability insurance premiums by 1 percent, effective Jan. 1, and announced a 24–percent dividend for renewing TMLT policyholders. Read the rest of the story...
Judge Sides With Physicians Again TMA won another round in its ongoing effort to protect the safety of patients in mid-August when an Austin district judge said he intends to limit chiropractors' right to diagnose medical conditions. Read the rest of the story... Electronic Death Register Avoids TMB Fine Physicians who do not sign death certificates "in a timely fashion" face a $500 fine per violation from the Texas Medical Board (TMB), the board warns in its spring TMB Bulletin. Read the rest of the story... New Program Helps Impaired Physicians Physicians and other health care professionals needing help dealing with substance use disorders and physical or psychiatric conditions that may impair their ability to practice may turn to the Texas Physician Health Program.  Read the rest of the story... Lace Up Your Sneakers for Medicine Want to improve health care in America? Want to be a catalyst for change? Want to help elect politicians who will put patients and physicians first? Participate in the upcoming TEXPAC Alliance Volunteer Days. Read the rest of the story... New TMA Campaign Promotes Flu Shots TMA's Be Wise — Immunize program, along with the TMA Committee on Infectious Diseases, is launching a new initiative to encourage health care workers to get immunized against the flu. Read the rest of the story...
CDC: Everyone Needs a Flu Shot Every person older than 6 months should be vaccinated against influenza this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises. Read the rest of the story... Immunization Summit Set for Fort Worth Mark your calendars for the Texas Immunization Summit, "Immunize: Protection for Every Texan," Thursday and Friday, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, in Fort Worth. Read the rest of the story... ImmTrac Updates Shot Scheduler The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has updated ImmTrac to make it easier for physicians to generate up-to-date immunization recommendations for patients with records in ImmTrac. Read the rest of the story... TMA Fall Conference Oct. 15-16 "Moving Forward in a Post-Reform World" is the theme of TMA's 2010 Fall Conference, Oct. 15-16, at the Hyatt Regency in Austin. Read the rest of the story...
What Can Practice Production Numbers Tell You? Consider these factors if your production isn't consistent. A practice management tip from TMA Practice Consulting
Give Kids Bike Helmets in October Help children in your community realize the importance of safety and exercise with a helmet giveaway during Brain Injury Awareness Month in October. Read the rest of the story... Survey: Charity Care Drops Slightly Responses to TMA's August survey thus far show the average dollar value of uncompensated care delivered per physician in 2009 was $47,000, somewhat less than the $48,000 delivered in 2007. Read the rest of the story... This Month in Texas Medicine The September issue of Texas Medicine is a special issue on cancer that offers readers 2 hours of continuing medical education for reading the articles and filling out a questionnaire. Written by leading cancer experts throughout Texas, the September issue provides the latest information on cancer. The articles cover subjects such as cancer screening, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, leukemia, and radiation therapy. Several physician-written commentaries, including one on the development of the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute of Texas, round out the issue. Also, you can subscribe to RSS feeds for TMA Practice E-Tips, TMA news releases, Blogged Arteries, and Texas Medicine. Read the rest of the story... Do You Twitter? Follow TMA As part of its work to explore new communications technologies, TMA has set up an account on Twitter, a new "micro-blogging" service. Read the rest of the story...
This Just In ... Want the latest, hottest news from TMA in a hurry? Then log on to Blogged Arteries. You can hear the latest Podcast TMA and read the most recent news from Action and Texas Medicine. TMA Seminars Practice Management, Ext. 1421 Workers' Compensation 2010 9/14      Austin 9/16      San Antonio 9/21      Dallas/Fort Worth 9/28      McAllen 10/6      Houston Recorded Web Seminars Medical Records – Consent for Treatment of Minors Professional Courtesy: Waiving Copays and Charity Care Requirements Recovery Audit Contractors Red Flags Rule 2010 Risk Management Series Physician Health and Rehabilitation, Ext. 1342 Family Systems: The Impact of Marriage and Family on Physicians 9/18       Lubbock 11/6       San Antonio Physician Well-Being and Loss in Medicine: How to Become a Winner 9/10-11  Fredericksburg About Action Action, the TMA newsletter, is e-mailed twice a month to bring you timely news and information that affects your practice. To change the e-mail address where you receive Action, go to Member Log-In on the TMA website, then click on "Update Your TMA Demographic Information (including newsletter subscriptions and preferences)." To unsubscribe from Action, e-mail TMA's Communication Division at tmainfo@texmed.org. If you have any technical difficulties in reading or receiving this message, please notify our managing editor, Shari Henson. Please send any other comments or suggestions you may have about the newsletter to Larry BeSaw, Action editor. TMA: 401 West 15th Street, Austin TX 78701   Ph: (800) 880-1300, (512) 370-1300  Copyright 1999-2010 Texas Medical Association TMA Web site Privacy Statement    TMA Contacts    How to Find It   RSS Feeds Unsubscribe from Action

Last Published: 8/31/2010 1:48:33 PM