HB 1013, introduced by Rep. Fred Brown and already supported by nearly a majority of the House of Representatives, reforms the Texas Medical Board. It will be put to a vote before the House Public Health Committee this Wednesday, April 6th, between 8-10 am, in Room E2.012 in the State Capitol in Austin.
HB 1013 will end anonymous and confidential complaints. HB 1013 is the same bill that passed the Public Health Committee during the 2009 Texas Legislature.
You can visit Texans for Patients’ and Physicians’ Rights at http://www.txppr.org to review the synopsis of the bill and to read the complete version.
Please contact the members of the Public Health Committee today and ask them to vote for HB 1013. Forward this email to like-minded friends and associates.
Public Health Committee
Chair
Lois Kolkhorst (R- Brenham) – 512.463.0600 – Chief of Staff (COS) – Chris Steinbach
Vice Chair
Elliott Naishatt (D- Austin) – 512.463.0668 – COS – Dorothy Brown
Members
Carol Alvarado (D- Houston) – 512.463.0732 – COS – Kaitlyn Murphy
Garnet Coleman (D- Houston) – 512.463.0524 – COS – Joseph Madden
Sarah Davis (R- Houston) – 512.463.0389 – COS – Vince Sudela
Susan King (R- Abilene) – 512.463.0718 – COS – Tammy Pirtle
Jodie Laubenberg (R- Parker) – 512.463-0186 – COS – Suzanne Bowers
Charles Schwertner (R- Georgetown) – 512.463.0309 – COS – Tom Holloway
Vicki Truitt (R- Keller) – 512-463-0690 – COS – Terra Taylor
The following legislators are already supporting this bill so there is no need to contact them:
Veronica Gonzales (D- McAllen)
John Zerwas (R- Richmond)
Proposed Texas Medical Practice Act
Revisions Texans for Patients’ and Physicians’ Rights
1. Elimination of confidential and/oranonymous complaints; the accused physician shall receive a copy of the complaint
2. No more anonymous and/or confidentialcomplaints from pharmaceutical, insurance companies, competitors, disgruntled employees or angry spouses
3. Prohibition of conflict of interests by Texas Medical Board (TMB) members
4. The TMB can use as experts only actively practicing physicians, who review the record with the name of the accused physician withheld
5. If requested by the physician and at his expense, the TMB shall record the Informal Settlement Conference (ISC) and maintain the recording as part of the record but may not release it to any third parties. The physician may retain a copy of the audio recording.
6. The assignment of ISC panel members shall be done randomly unless there is a board member in the same or similar practice who is available to participate.
7. A reasonable 45-day period for physicians to respond to complaints
8. A statute of limitations of 7 years with respect to filing complaints
9. Like attorneys, physicians shall be entitled to a right to a jury trial if their license is revoked
10. The Texas Medical Board shall annually disclose a list of who participated on its ISC panels, and how often.
11. The board shall dispose of a contested case by issuing a final order based on an administrative judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law
Contact members of the Public Health Committee today by phone and ask them to support HB 1013. Forward this email to like-minded friends and associates.
