Tarrant County Physician Online

Tyler Radiology Associates and East Texas Radiology Consultants Merge with Radiology Associates of North Texas

Radiology Associates of North Texas, P.A. (RADNTX) is participating in a merger that will further expand the organization. Tyler Radiology Associates and East Texas Radiology Consultants are joining with the group; through this merger RADNTX is welcoming 28 new radiologists, expanding the practice to over 200 physicians. The organization continues to be the largest private radiology practice in Texas and one of the largest in the nation, with plans for continued expansion.

Both practices decided to merge after connecting with RADNTX’s Independent Radiology Network (IRN). The IRN is designed to provide expanded resources and improved quality for private practice radiology practices throughout Texas and the surrounding states. Partnering with other high-performing regional radiologists is a foundational endeavor of RADNTX’s physician leadership.

“Tyler Radiology Associates (TRA) is proud to enter into a partnership with Radiology Associates of North Texas.,” says Dr. Robert Weissmann with Tyler Radiology Associates. “TRA believes in independent, physician-led radiology practices. After evaluating several options, we are excited to have found a partner that shares our values and vision for healthcare in East Texas.”

RADNTX’s goal through the IRN is to provide Texas-based radiology practices that desire to remain independent and wholly physician-owned but require expanded service levels access to RADNTX’s world-class infrastructure. Through the IRN, RADNTX is able to provide practices with information technology services that include an integrated worklist driven platform, as well as billing and revenue cycle management, clinical coordination, increased sub-specialization, overnight final reads, quality and compliance programs, analytics and reporting, business services, and much more.

“What initially brought us to Radiology Associates was its reputation for honesty, integrity, and quality in the radiology market. Radiology Associates’ goal is to provide maximum support for the continued private practice of radiology in the state of Texas,” says Dr. Randy Erwin with East Texas Radiology Consultants. “For private practice to survive and prosper, a large organization dedicated to their members, fellow physicians, and patients is paramount.”

Tarrant County COVID-19 Activity – 7/8/20

COVID-19 Positive cases: 16,180*

COVID-19 related deaths: 254

Recovered COVID-19 cases: 7018

Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.

* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.

Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.

Tarrant County COVID-19 Activity – 7/2/20

COVID-19 Positive cases: 13,423*

COVID-19 related deaths: 233

Recovered COVID-19 cases: 5517

Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Thursday, July 2, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.

* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.

Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.

It’s Time to Assess Your PPE Needs

From the Texas Medical Association

The Texas Medical Association PPE Portal is your tool to inform state-managed warehouses how much personal protective equipment (PPE) your practice needs.

As long as you need PPE, use this l ink to the PPE Portal to refresh your data once per week per practice. These data inform distributors about how much PPE you currently have on hand and how much you use each day.

The PPE Portal is available only for licensed Texas physicians (and nursing homes and home health professionals) who are not hospital-based and who cannot obtain PPE through other channels. The PPE Portal is NOT an order form. Because of the limited supplies and uneven distribution of the PPE, there is no guarantee individual practices will get all – or even some – of what they need.

The data you submit to the TMA PPE Portal are sent to the state’s Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) partners and Regional Advisory Councils (RACs). The state purchases PPE throughout the worldwide supply chain. The HPPs and RACs are responsible for distributing it. They ship PPE allocated for physicians within their regions to local county medical societies, who then distribute it to individual physician practices. The PPE you receive from the RAC or HPP through the TMA PPE Portal will be free.

A local county medical society or state warehouse will contact you when and if PPE is ready for you to pick up.

If you are not the person who keeps track of this information for your practice, please share this email (with your personal PPE Portal link above) with the staff member or other physician who will enter it for your practice. Please report PPE usage by all staff who regularly need it to interact with patients, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and support staff. Coordinate within your practice to make sure it submits only one response, even if your practice has multiple locations.

For more details, see TMA’s updated PPE Distribution FAQ document and check our PPE Status by County webpage.

Insurance Payments for Telemedicine Visits Extended to September

By David Doolittle

Originally published on the Texas Medical Association’s website.

Texas-regulated insurers must continue to pay for telemedicine services, including mental health visits, at the same rate as in-person visits through Sept. 12, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) said today.

TDI announced it is extending the requirement that was part of an emergency rule that has been in place since March. It was set to expire July 14.

Under the emergency rule, state-regulated health insurers and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) also must:

Cover telemedicine services using any platform permitted by state law; and
Not require more documentation for telemedicine services than they require for in-person services.

To make telemedicine available to more patients and their physicians during the emergency declaration period, many state and federal rules and regulations regarding telehealth, including a waiver for audio-only visits, have been relaxed temporarily.

Click here to read the full article.

Tarrant County COVID-19 Activity – 6/29/20

COVID-19 Positive cases: 11,739*

COVID-19 related deaths: 225

Recovered COVID-19 cases: 5059

Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Monday, June 29, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.

* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.

Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.

Tarrant County COVID-19 Activity – 6/27/20

COVID-19 Positive cases: 11,083*

COVID-19 related deaths: 224

Recovered COVID-19 cases: 5012

Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Saturday, June 27, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.

* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.

Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.

COVID-19 Deadlines for Doctors

Originally published on Texas Medical Association’s website.

The following deadlines and extensions are in effect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aetna is moving its provider portal to Availity (from NaviNet) effective May 31. After that date, you’ll lose access to Aetna on NaviNet, including electronic transactions. Aetna also:

Has extended coverage for commercial telemedicine service, including audio-only visits, through Aug. 4; and
Will no longer waive cost sharing for any in-network telemedicine visits for commercial plans starting June 4.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas has extended access to telemedicine/telehealth services with no cost sharing for all medically necessary, covered services and treatments through June 30. That access was set to expire May 31.

Cigna will extend certain cost-share waivers, including customer cost-sharing for telemedicine screenings for COVID-19, and other benefits through at least July 31.

Several Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program(CHIP) flexibilities, including paying for Texas Health Steps (THSteps) medical checkups via telemedicine and CHIP copay waivers, will be extended through June 30. Payments had been set to expire May 31.

Medicare’s 2020 Quality Payment Program (QPP) registration window is open for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) web interface reporting method and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey through June 30.

Medicare’s 2019 QPP final performance feedback, which includes your overall MIPS score (0-100 point scale) and 2021 Medicare payment adjustment (bonus or cut) worth up to 7%, is expected July 1 via the QPP portal. Physicians who did not submit any 2019 MIPS data or who filed an application for an exception due to COVID-19 should not receive a 2021 payment cut.

Find each payer’s effective and expiration dates of waivers on this chart on the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Resource Center.

Tarrant County COVID-19 Activity – 6/26/20

COVID-19 Positive cases: 10,363*

COVID-19 related deaths: 218

Recovered COVID-19 cases: 4771

Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Friday, June 26, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.

* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.

Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.

Tarrant County COVID-19 Activity – 6/24/20

COVID-19 Positive cases: 9846*

COVID-19 related deaths: 215

Recovered COVID-19 cases: 4682

Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.

* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.

Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.