TMA Practice Well

Quick Tip: TMB Changes Requirements for Mandated CME

In this episode expert guest Dr. CM Schade elaborates on the Texas Medical Board's revamped CME requirements for opioid prescriptions, which now focus only on direct patient care physicians. He offers insights into how the new rules bring flexibility while placing an emphasis on meticulous documentation. With decades of experience in legislative advocacy, Dr. Schade shares valuable tips on navigating these changes and encourages utilizing TMA's educational resources.
Access the ondemand webinar - Prescribing and Monitoring of Controlled Substances
Access current TMB rules

AI in Health Care: Insights to Harness the Evolution

Welcome to this episode of TMA's Practice Well Podcast, where we dive into the transformative potential of AI in healthcare. Join us as Shannon Vogel, TMA's Associate Vice President for Health Information Technology, hosts a conversation with Dr. Dan McCoy, a leader in AI consulting and education.
Explore the evolving terminology and concepts like data drift and hallucinations, and how they relate to AI in the medical field. Dr. McCoy shares his insights on pre-training and post-training of AI models, highlighting their implications for physicians.
Gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities that AI presents, including the importance of validating AI outputs and maintaining safety standards. Learn practical strategies for physicians to engage with AI systems, enhance practice efficiency, and contribute to the ongoing development of AI models. Tune in to unlock the full potential of AI in medicine today.
Claim CME credit for this episode and check out more CME to Go on AI in health care
Access TMA AI Resources
TMA Policy Compendium

AI in Health Care: Revolutionizing Drug Development

Welcome to the TMA Practice Well podcast. In this episode, our host Shannon Vogel, TMA's Associate Vice President for Health Information Technology, engages in conversation with Dr. Nithisha Thatikonda, a resident at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. They explore the evolving role of augmented intelligence (AI) in healthcare and clinical research.
Dr. Thatikonda shares insights on how AI, particularly machine learning, accelerates drug discovery and optimizes clinical trials. She discusses the AI-powered innovations that streamline drug development processes, enhance diversity in patient recruitment, and improve participant retention.
Follow along as Dr. Thatikonda and Shannon delve into the challenges of using AI, like data quality and model performance variability, and emphasize the importance of human oversight and collaboration in advancing AI technologies responsibly.
Join us to discover how AI is transforming healthcare research, ensuring safer, more efficient drug development, and ultimately enhancing patient outcomes. Visit our episode description for additional resources and stay informed about AI in practice.
Claim CME credit for this episode and check out more CME to Go on AI in health care
Access TMA AI Resources
TMA Policy Compendium
 

AI in Health Care: Vetting Tools and Vendors

Shannon Vogel, Associate Vice President for Health Information Technology and special guest, Dr. Harvey Castro, author of the first book on chat GPT in health care, discuss the evolving role of AI in direct patient care in this second episode of the AI in Health Care series. Discover why TMA prefers the term 'augmented intelligence' and explore how it can enhance, not replace, a physician's clinical decision-making.
Harvey Castro, MD shares his expert insights into evaluating AI products and vendors. With a background in emergency medicine and entrepreneurship, Dr. Castro provides practical tips for physicians just starting their AI journey.
Learn how to identify the right AI tools for your clinical and administrative needs, avoid shiny distractions, and ensure smooth integration with your existing systems. 
Whether you're in a large hospital or a solo practice in a rural area, this episode offers strategies to help you adopt AI effectively and responsibly. Plus, get tips on cost management, contract negotiations, and staff training for seamless AI integration.
Claim CME for this episode
Access TMA AI Resources

AI in Health Care: A Doctor’s Perspective to Getting Started

Welcome to the TMA Practice Well podcast, where we explore the evolving landscape of healthcare technology. In this episode, our host Shannon Vogel, TMA's Associate Vice President for Health Information Technology, dives into the world of AI and its impact on medical practices with our guest, Rehan Ahmed, MD.
Dr. Ahmed, an experienced ophthalmologist and AI enthusiast, shares his journey into AI from programming as a high schooler to integrating cutting-edge technology in eye care. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Ahmed emphasizes the importance of AI as an assistant, agent, and superpower in enhancing clinical decision-making and reducing administrative burdens.
Explore practical tips for implementing AI in both small independent practices and larger settings, addressing concerns physicians may have and demonstrating potential benefits, like improved patient interaction and saving time on routine tasks. Whether you're a tech-savvy practitioner or new to AI, this insightful conversation highlights the transformative potential of integrating AI into healthcare.
Claim CME for this episode
Access TMA AI Resources

Quick Tip: Mastering Billing Challenges for 2025

In this educative episode of TMA's Practice Well Podcast, Cara Benson and Alexis Harvey from TMA's Physician Payment Resource Center look into the strategies essential for optimizing practice revenue in 2025. Discover actionable insights on implementing regular staff training, staying updated with the latest billing codes and policies, and effectively managing claim denials.
The discussion provides essential resources and best practices for enhancing the financial health of your practice, emphasizing the importance of physician involvement in billing operations. With a focus on improved communication with patients and utilizing technology, this episode equips medical professionals with the knowledge to navigate the ever-evolving healthcare landscape efficiently.
Contact TMA Physician Payment Resource Center today to take advantage if this free member benefit!
Physician Payment Resource Center 
Billing and Coding Hotline 512-370-1414
Webinars and more billing and coding help in the TMA Education Center

Quick Tip: Navigating Medicare 2025 Challenges

Welcome to this episode of the TMA Practice Well podcast, hosted by Cheryl Krhovjak, Director of the TMA Education Center. In this insightful discussion, we are joined by Robert Bennett, TMA Vice President of Medical Economics, to delve into the significant impact of Medicare 2025 physician fee schedule. With over 65 million beneficiaries, Medicare is a key player in health care, and its spending is projected to surge in the coming years.
Robert highlights the recent updates in the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including anticipated reductions in conversion factors unless Congress intervenes. This episode underscores the challenges faced by health care practices due to administrative burdens and payment cuts, which threaten patient access to physicians.
The episode also discusses legislative efforts such as the Medicare Payment Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2024 and the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Provider Act, aimed at stabilizing physician payments and ensuring fair inflationary updates. Listeners are encouraged to advocate for these changes to protect their practice and patients.
Additionally, discover the resources offered by the Texas Medical Association, including the Physician Payment Resource Center, to assist Texas physicians in navigating billing, coding, and payment challenges. Tune in for actionable insights and tips to help your practice thrive in the evolving healthcare landscape.
Medicare Payment Reform Center
Medicare Patient Outreach Flyer
Physician Payment Resource Center (PPRC)
2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Ondemand Webinar 

TMA Health Beat: Strengthening Border Health Care

The Texas-Mexico border region faces unique health care challenges. Many people have diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health conditions, and they often lack health insurance – 42% of adults have no health coverage. At the recently held TMA Border Health Conference, physicians, other health care stakeholders, and government policymakers gathered to discuss how to strengthen border health care.
NOTICE: This podcast is intended for general informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast does not constitute legal or medical advice and does not ensure a successful outcome. This podcast does not substitute for the advice of a physician or other health care professional. Consulting a personal physician is always a good practice when faced with health issues to obtain specific medical advice taking into consideration each person’s medical situation. Persons should not rely on this information when dealing with personal health matters; rather medical advice from their own personal physician should be sought. Although TMA has attempted to present materials that are accurate and useful, some material may be outdated and TMA shall not be liable to anyone for any inaccuracy, error, or omission, regardless of cause, or for any damages resulting therefrom.
Certain links provided with this information may connect to websites maintained by third parties. TMA has no control over these websites, or the information, goods or services provided by third parties. TMA shall have no liability for any use or reliance by a user on these third-party websites or information provided by third parties.
This podcast is also not intended to establish medical standards of care for the purposes of litigation, including expert testimony. The standard of care is dependent upon the particular facts and circumstances of each individual case and no generalization can be made that would apply to all cases.

Dodge the Denial: Increase Claims Approval

Discover the critical differences between medical claim denial management and  prevention programs, and learn how to set up effective processes to reduce and manage claim denials. Guest expert, Sabrina Skeldon, shares valuable insights on the financial impact of claim denials, the importance of clean claim ratios, and practical strategies for improving front desk, coding, and billing staff performance.
Join us as we explore the true cost of reworking claims, the benefits of regular billing audits, and the overall advantage of adopting a denial prevention program. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help you streamline your practice's revenue cycle and enhance financial viability.
For more resources and on-demand education, check out the  TMA Education Center at www.texmed.org/education. Stay tuned for more episodes from TMA Practice Well. Until next time, stay well!

TMA Health Beat: Vaccination Clinics in Tarrant County

For more than two decades, the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County has played an important role in ensuring uninsured and under insured families get necessary vaccinations, especially before kids head to school. Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance members participate en masse to make the vaccination clinics a success by greeting patients and providing information on the vaccines available. In this episode of TMA Health Beat, volunteers explain how the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County got its start and what motivates them to spend their time at vaccination events.
NOTICE: This podcast is intended for general informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast does not constitute legal or medical advice and does not ensure a successful outcome. This podcast does not substitute for the advice of a physician or other health care professional. Consulting a personal physician is always a good practice when faced with health issues to obtain specific medical advice taking into consideration each person’s medical situation. Persons should not rely on this information when dealing with personal health matters; rather medical advice from their own personal physician should be sought. Although TMA has attempted to present materials that are accurate and useful, some material may be outdated and TMA shall not be liable to anyone for any inaccuracy, error, or omission, regardless of cause, or for any damages resulting therefrom.
Certain links provided with this information may connect to websites maintained by third parties. TMA has no control over these websites, or the information, goods or services provided by third parties. TMA shall have no liability for any use or reliance by a user on these third-party websites or information provided by third parties.
This podcast is also not intended to establish medical standards of care for the purposes of litigation, including expert testimony. The standard of care is dependent upon the particular facts and circumstances of each individual case and no generalization can be made that would apply to all cases.