Obama signs SCHIP reauthorization
Newly signed federal legislation extends SCHIP eligibility to more than 4 million uninsured children, increasing the amount of federal funds available to Texas for the program by more than 70 percent this year. Whether any of the 900,000 eligible uninsured Texas children will benefit from the program rests in the hands of state lawmakers. more...

CAPITOL UPDATE: Senate makes committee appointments; TAFP needs your managed care stories
Your Academy is calling for lawmakers to require health plans to provide instant verification of benefits at the point of care to physicians and their patients, so you can access real-time data on what services are covered and what the patients’ out-of-pocket costs will be. To make the argument clear for legislators, we need your stories. Read more to find out how you can help us make instant verification of benefits a reality in Texas. more...

Daschle withdraws nomination to head Health and Human Services
The excitement of having a strong primary care advocate at the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services was squashed for now as former Sen. Thomas Daschle withdrew his name from consideration for the post this week. more...

New loan repayment program to benefit Texas docs who treat Medicaid kids
Texas Health and Human Services has announced the creation of a new loan repayment program that would pay up to $140,000 each to physicians who treat children with Medicaid coverage. Find out if you’re eligible. Applications open in March. more...

AAFP offers online dues payment to facilitate membership maintenance
Did you know that you can pay your TAFP and AAFP dues online? Don’t search your inbox for the first invoice or wait for the second, log on to www.aafp.org using your AAFP ID number. You can check your status to see if you have outstanding dues, make a one-time payment by credit card or even set up monthly installment payments. Go to the membership section of the AAFP Web site for more information. more...

EDUCATION UPDATE

C. Frank Webber and Interim Session hotel filling quickly
Plus, get practice management tips through a mini-consult on March 13
Don’t wait to make your C. Frank Webber and Interim Session hotel arrangements. Rooms at the Hilton Austin Airport are filling quickly and are likely to be gone before the group discount deadline on Feb. 19. Also, TAFP members: Don’t forget to sign up for a free mini-consult with our practice management consultant, Bradley Reiner, on Friday, March 13. more...