ARTICLE
The 86th Texas Legislative Session is winding down. The Legislature will adjourn “sine die” on Monday, May 27, and take an 18-month break (unless Gov. Greg Abbott calls for an emergency session during the interim). Here are a few updates from the final days of the 86th Legislature… SB 1739 (TCA’s bill to end discrimination against Texas chiropractors) has been signed into law by the Governor. This landmark bill will prevent insurance companies from refusing to pay chiropractors for in-scope therapies/modalities if the insurer would pay a physician or physical therapist for the same treatment. It includes tough penalties against insurers that violate the law – up to $1,000 per claim, per day. TCA developed this legislation in response to complaints from our members about insurance companies denying payment for therapy codes (97140, etc.) and shepherded it to passage. This is a major victory for Texas DCs and their patients. TCA’s legislation to clarify the role of nerves and the nervous system in chiropractic and safeguard the chiropractic profession against a frivolous TMA lawsuit was reported favorably from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee but ran up against Senate deadlines and failed to advance. We remain optimistic that the Texas Supreme Court will intervene. In the meantime, TCA will continue to use every means at our disposal to protect Texas chiropractors and their patients from TMA’s ridiculous and anticompetitive legal attack. HB 201 by Rep. Phil Stephenson (which would add a chiropractor to the state’s Combative Sports Advisory Board) and HB 741 (which would inform injured workers of their right to choose a chiropractor in the workers’ compensation system) both cleared the House of Representatives recently but ran out of time in the Senate and are unlikely to pass Legislation to limit initial opioid prescriptions (HB 2174) is advancing. This bill was amended to include TCA-backed language and fulfills one of TCA’s biggest policy goals of 2019: to address the opioid crisis at the source – prescribers – and divert patients with acute pain to conservative care options such as chiropractic and physical therapy. We are hopeful that this bill will pass in the coming days. TCA’s bill to eliminate abusive insurance extrapolation based on post-payment audits (SB 1742) passed in both chambers and is currently in conference. We are optimistic that this bill will finally pass in the next few days and head to the Governor’s desk. Time is running short, and TCA’s legislative team is working overtime to ensure the success of its priorities. Thank you for your interest, and please stay tuned for additional updates.
Here are a few updates from the final days of the 86th Legislature…
SB 1739 (TCA’s bill to end discrimination against Texas chiropractors) has been signed into law by the Governor. This landmark bill will prevent insurance companies from refusing to pay chiropractors for in-scope therapies/modalities if the insurer would pay a physician or physical therapist for the same treatment. It includes tough penalties against insurers that violate the law – up to $1,000 per claim, per day. TCA developed this legislation in response to complaints from our members about insurance companies denying payment for therapy codes (97140, etc.) and shepherded it to passage. This is a major victory for Texas DCs and their patients.
TCA’s legislation to clarify the role of nerves and the nervous system in chiropractic and safeguard the chiropractic profession against a frivolous TMA lawsuit was reported favorably from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee but ran up against Senate deadlines and failed to advance. We remain optimistic that the Texas Supreme Court will intervene. In the meantime, TCA will continue to use every means at our disposal to protect Texas chiropractors and their patients from TMA’s ridiculous and anticompetitive legal attack.
HB 201 by Rep. Phil Stephenson (which would add a chiropractor to the state’s Combative Sports Advisory Board) and HB 741 (which would inform injured workers of their right to choose a chiropractor in the workers’ compensation system) both cleared the House of Representatives recently but ran out of time in the Senate and are unlikely to pass
Legislation to limit initial opioid prescriptions (HB 2174) is advancing. This bill was amended to include TCA-backed language and fulfills one of TCA’s biggest policy goals of 2019: to address the opioid crisis at the source – prescribers – and divert patients with acute pain to conservative care options such as chiropractic and physical therapy. We are hopeful that this bill will pass in the coming days.
passed in both chambers and is currently in conference. We are optimistic that this bill will finally pass in the next few days and head to the Governor’s desk.
Time is running short, and TCA’s legislative team is working overtime to ensure the success of its priorities. Thank you for your interest, and please stay tuned for additional updates.