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Legislative Alert: HHSC Poised to Eliminate Medicaid PCCM in Urban Areas

Many House and Senate Appropriators Skeptical

In the face of strong opposition from physicians and medical groups, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is likely to go forward with a plan to repeal the Primary Care Case Management model for Medicaid in the state’s urban areas in favor of expanding the Star+Plus HMO model. Commissioner Albert Hawkins says the move will save the state almost $100 million in 2006-07, but critics of the plan say the savings are really a cost shift to local communities.

Hawkins spent several hours on Friday, Feb. 11 stating his case before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services where several lawmakers questioned his assertions. Rep. Vicki Truitt, (R-Keller), was among those expressing concern with the plan, saying, “We must do a better job of managing care for these people, but I don’t want to do something that squeezes the balloon in such a way that it pushes the problem onto a different group.”

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Medicaid PCCM to Expand to Border, Rural Counties As Enrollment Deadline Looms, TMHP Begins Provider Education   The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is on track to expand Medicaid’s Primary Care Case Management program in rural counties and along the Texas-Mexico border as of Sept. 1, 2005. Primary care physicians in the expansion areas will need to enroll in the PCCM network by March 15, 2005 to be included on the provider list Medicaid recipients will receive. To enroll, providers must complete an addendum to their Medicaid  Provider Agreement. You can download the appropriate addendum forms from the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership Web site or by clicking the link at the end of this story.   click here to read more

EHR Conference, Take Two

TAFP to Hold the Next Electronic Health Records Conference, Apr. 16 in Irving

Interested in purchasing and implementing an electronic health record system (EHR) in your clinic, but need more information before taking the plunge? Then clear your calendar on Apr. 16 and plan to attend TAFP’s second Electronic Health Records Conference, back by popular demand. The conference will be held at the Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas and is sponsored by TAFP and several other organizations.

At the conference, you’ll hear from technical and industry experts like David Kibbe, M.D., director of AAFP’s Center for Health Information Technology. You’ll talk with physicians who have successfully implemented EHRs in their offices and you’ll have time to meet with software vendors and finance professionals. If you didn’t attend the first conference, don’t miss this opportunity to prepare yourself for the health IT revolution.

click here for more information and to register online

ABFM Moves to Online Registration

The American Board of Family Medicine is offering online registration for its 2005 certification, recertification and sports medicine exams. The ABFM says the online application process has streamlined registering for the examination, allowing physicians to complete the entire process in minutes, in many cases.

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Will the Nation Follow Texas’ Lead?

AAFP Raises Legislative Alert on Medical Liability Reform

The American Academy of Family Physicians has issued a call-to-action alert asking members and their patients to petition President Bush to take action on medical liability reform. Political analysts agree that asserting pressure on the 109^th Congress is essential to influence quick action.

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DSHS Releases Psychotropic Medication Guidelines for Children

Download the New Guidelines in This Issue of QuickInfo

The Texas Department of State Health Services has released the Psychotropic Medication Utilization Parameters for Foster Children, making the information available to physicians and other clinicians who treat these patients.

The guidelines are intended as a voluntary resource to be used at the physician’s discretion. They were developed for use in the treatment of foster children based on medical observation and consensus, but may be valuable for the treatment of any child diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Texas Health Commissioner Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., penned a letter to providers explaining the guidelines. You can download the letter and the guidelines by clicking the links below.

Letter from Commissioner Sanchez

Psychotropic Medication Utilization Parameters for Foster Children

Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey

Provider Action Needed

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the launch of the Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey (MCPSS), a new initiative designed to collect data on provider satisfaction with and perceptions about the services provided by Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) contractors. The MCPSS was sent to a random sample of approximately 8,200 Medicare FFS providers in January 2005.

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TAFP Calls for Representatives to NCSC

Are you interested in representing Texas at the National Conference of Special Constituencies?

Each year, the AAFP holds the NCSC in Kansas City, Missouri and representatives from across the nation gather to discuss various issues and suggest policies and programs to the AAFP. This year's conference will be May 5 - 7. To read a letter from the Chair of the TAFP Section on Special Constituencies, Dr. Melissa Gerdes, click here.

If you are interested in being considered for one of the slots, please notify Jonathan Nelson at the TAFP office by February 23, 2005. Be sure to let him know which constituency you would like to represent. The TAFP Section on Special Constituencies will select representatives at the Interim Session meeting. Below are the five special constituency slots:

• New Physicians
• Women
• Minorities
• International Medical Graduates
• Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered