Dear Collegue,, Texas Medicine A TOP Resource for Physicians for Texas Specific Medical News Reserve Your Ad Space for the April Issue! Ad Reservations: 3/1/2015 * Ad Art Due:  3/6/2015   Issue Date: 4/1/2015  Cover Story Medicare's value-based payment modifier (VBM) starts affecting all physicians starting in 2015.  This story will help untangle what has proven to be a confusing web of requirements for physicians in this new value-based arena so they aren't struck by penalties for noncompliance. Payments to large practices will be hit this year based on 2013 quality and cost data, and 2015 data will determine payments for all physicians in 2017. The Affordable Care Act set in motion value-based care as a way of addressing high health care spending. Far from perfect, Medicare continues to advocate for improvements that streamline the myriad requirements and appropriately measure physician performance.  PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) are becoming a more widely-use method by which physicians can share valuable patient information, including allowing specialists to share treatment information with primary care physicians. The story will also allow HIEs to weigh in on some challenges related to physician participation.  The story will mention a bill introduced last session and expected to come up again this session that would limit the liability of physicians who participate in HIEs. LAW A recent court ruling blurs the line between making a new medical board rule and simply interpreting a rule that already exists. On Dec. 31, a Texas appellate court held that the Texas Medical Board (TMB) violated the state’s Administrative Procedures Act (APA) by altering the rules over telemedicine without initiating the formal rulemaking process. In a letter to Teladoc -- a company that allows physicians to diagnose and prescribe treatments for patients after a phone conversation, without ever seeing the patient in person -- TMB said physicians working with the company must conduct an initial face-to-face meeting with a patient before the physician can provide treatment remotely.The story will also highlight the merits of the case, and provide input from member physicians who side with Teledoc and others who fall in line with the TMB.  Additional stories to be covered are public health and education. SUPPORT one of our Seminars Medicare 2015 This seminar runs from Feb. 3-25, 2015 ( Austin,  Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Harlingen,  Houston, San Antonio, and Tyler) ICD-10: Will You Just Survive or Will You Thrive? This seminar runs from March 3-26, 2015 (Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, McAllen, San Antonio) Commit to Compliance: Meet the Challenge Friday, May 8 - Austin  For More Information Contact: Rebecca Stevens, rebecca.stevens@texmed.org or 512-370-1423 COMMIT  to ADVERTISING Texas Medicine will allow you to reach Texas physicians, their practice managers, and medical staff with your message. Online Media Kit Insertion Order Additional Marketing Opportunities Banner Ads Texas physicians turn to TMA's website as their trusted source for hot topics and their inside scoop on legislative, regulatory, and payment advocacy issues, practice help, public health initiatives, leadership opportunities, professional development and so much more. EXHIBIT at  TexMed 2015 Austin : May 1-2  TexMed is the premier educational showcase and expo of the Texas Medical Association that gathers more than 1,700 Texas physicians, medical students and medical office staff in one place over two days." Exhibitor Application Practice Resource Guide TMA  Practice Resource Guide is an online "resource" that lives on the TMA website and is also emailed to more than 48,000 physician, resident and student members annually, and promoted via several marketing channels at TMA . Your ad or listing (and would include your logo along with a 50-word description and live URL link of your choice) would run for one year from the date you start. PRG Insertion Order For More Information Contact: Rebecca Stevens, rebecca.stevens@texmed.org or 512-370-1423 REACH 39,000 TEXAS PHYSICIANS IN TEXAS MEDICINE MAGAZINE AND 62,000 MONTHLY VISITORS ON TEXMED.ORG

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