Harris County Medical Society

For additional Legislative Advocacy...

For Health System Reform info and updates...

2013 Federal Updates

- Medicare Payments Frozen for Another Year (2013) - The US Congress slapped another one-year patch on physicians' Medicare payments, averting the 26.5-percent cut in payments that was scheduled to take effect on Jan 1, 2013, by freezing the current rates for 2013. For more from TMA and from AMA with a summary... TMA and AMA, 1/2/13

2011 State Updates

Update for April 21, 2011 - Lege Bill Tracking Chart
Update for April 13, 2011 - Lege Bill Tracking Chart
Update for March 28, 2011
Update for March 14, 2011
Update for March 7, 2011
82nd House Committee Assignments by Committee
82nd House Committee Assignments by Member
82nd Senate Committee Assignments

2009 State Updates

Political Prognosis: TMA Scores Wins in Legislative Session - session summary from TMA, June 2009
Legislators Follow Doctor's Orders in 2009 Session - summary from TMA in pdf format, June 2009

From HCMS Physician Newsletter:

A very successful Legislative Session for our patients and organized medicine(President's Page) - June 2009 issue
Watch out! The Legislature is in session(President's Page) - April 15, 2009 issue
TMA launches Patients' Right to Know- April 15, 2009 issue
What's in your health plan?(President's Page) - April 1, 2009 issue
Lawmakers file TMA legislation - March 1, 2009 issue
TX Legislature begins with bang! - Feb 1, 2009 issue
TMA issues "Doctor's Orders" - Medicine's Legislative Agenda - Jan 2009 issue

2009 Federal Updates

Health System Reform Principles
For the latest info from AMA on Health System Reform (HSR)...
For the latest info from AMA on Medicare Physician Payment Reform...
And for other current topics in AMA advocacy such as managed care reform, balanced billing, etc...
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)(H.R. 1, Stimulus Bill) - summary of major health care provisions, Feb 25, 2009 (AMA)
Special Report: H.R. 1, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” - Feb 19, 2009 (AMA)
New administration, new health care system: What's the impact? - HCMS Physician Newsletter, Feb 15, 2009 issue

2008 State Updates

DPS number on RX starting Sept 1, 2008 - HCMS Physician Newsletter, Sept 15, 2008
Selby: Watch for tort reform group this fall- August 7, 2008
Doctors argue that Medical Board is too harsh on them - Board aims to address criticism, correct misperceptions- June 24, 2008
Huffman to run for Janek's Seat- June 23, 2008

2008 Federal Updates

Legislation Would Require Greater Transparency in Physician Self-Referrals for Imaging Procedures - July 30, 2008
House Votes 355-59 To Approve Legislation that Would Delay Medicare Physician Fee Cut- June 25, 2008
Reps. Barton, Dingell To Introduce Legislation That Aims To Spur Nationwide Adoption of Electronic Health Records- June 23, 2008
Summary of Presidential Candidates' Health Care Reform ProposalsMay 2008
Physician ownership: One battle won- HCMS Physician Newsletter, May 15, 2008
Physician ownership debated - HCMS Physician Newsletter, April 15, 2008
New bills filed on Medicare - Contact your Senators and Congressman NOW! - HCMS Physician Newsletter, April 1, 2008
CORNYN SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE Introduces Critical Legislation Aimed at Helping Doctors & Patients (March 6, 2008)
HCMS evaluates Presidential health plans (Feb 15, 2008)

2008 Medicare Info
Patient Action Needed to Fix Medicare... Help us educate patients on how Medicare is imploding if Congress does not take action now.

Fliers for your waiting and exam rooms
Sample "Letter to the editor" for local paper
Hold our leaders accountable - Fix Medicare - HCMS Physician Newsletter, Feb 15, 2008
Patient action needed to fix Medicare - HCMS Physician Newsletter, Feb 1, 2008

2007
Texas Legislature
2007 Texas Legislative session summary
Week 11 - Balancing on the Lege - March 28, 2007
Week 9 - Balancing on the Lege - March 14, 2007
Week 5 - Balancing on the Lege - Feb 14, 2007
Week 3 - Balancing on the Lege - Feb 1, 2007
Week 2 - Balancing on the Lege - Jan 24, 2007

2006
Texas Legislature: Special Session April 2006
-Tax Bill Passes House April 24 by 80-69 vote
- TMA Endorses Perry-Sharp Plan with important concessions for physicians

2005
Medicare Cuts Looming - Call your Congressman (11/3/05)
Texas Legislature: Special Session June/July 2005
-Update: July 13 - Comparison of Tax Proposals
Texas Legislature: Regular Session 2005
-Update: June 5, 2005

Legislative Alerts & Updates