STOP the Texas Medical Board from Forcing Patients to Wait Before Receiving Medical Care from Independent Physicians!
Earlier this year the Texas legislature passed legislation (SB 1264) purporting to address an issue caused by non-payment by insurance companies, which has been mislabeled as a problem of “surprise” medical bills. The real “surprise” is that insurance companies refuse to pay or negotiate the bills.
Because you spoke out, the version of SB 1264 that passed contained a good provision preserving the rights of patients and out-of-network physicians to work together outside of insurance company control.
Unfortunately, now the Texas Medical Board (TMB) is trying once again improperly to insert itself in between doctors and patients by proposing a 10 business-day waiting period before patients can receive non-emergency care from an out-of-network physician in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center.
Unelected bureaucrats at the TMB cannot be allowed to force patients to wait for care!
Please take a moment now to speak out against this proposal that the board might be considering at their December 5-6 meeting.
The TMB is accepting comments by email at: [email protected].
Please write the TMB TODAY to ensure your thoughts are considered.
Below is a template message you can copy and paste into a new message and modify with your own comments. Don’t forget to add your name and city at the bottom.
(Note: for many email apps, clicking here will open a new message, addressed to the board, with the template text copied in for you.)
Subject Line: No to 165.7! Forcing patients to wait for care is unacceptable.
To: [email protected]
Dear Members of the Texas Medical Board:
Forcing patients to wait at least 10 days to receive care from an out-of-network physician is not only unacceptable but contrary to law. That is why I am writing today urging you, in the strongest terms possible, to oppose approval of 22 TAC 165.7 until all mandatory delays impeding access to timely care are removed.
Please stand up for the rights of Texas patients by correcting this serious flaw in the proposed rule.
Sincerely,
[Name, City]
Thank you for speaking out! With your help AAPS has stopped bad TMB policy in the past. It is time for us to fight again and prevent this dangerous plan from being approved.
