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physicians in independent practice.
Delegates also directed TMA to support the
elimination of prior authorizations for all medications,
and in the wake of federal rules designed to give patients
immediate access to their medical information, delegates
successfully urged TMA to ask the Texas Legislature to
allow at least 72 hours before having to release or post
to the patient’s portal results from lab or other diagnostic
TMA Diversity in Medicine, scholarship winner testing. This would ensure that patients receive serious
Anthony Lopez and his parents. and life-changing test results from their trusted physician

policy changes in the house include recognizing people and not their patient portal.
with disabilities as a “health disparity population” for the
first time, as well as improving the monitoring of For a complete list of issues considered by the house,
cannabis products and promoting firearm safety. visit www.texmed.org/hod.
Practice viability was a recurring theme during the
session, earning its place as a central tenet of the TMA
Board of Trustees’ new five-year strategic plan and as
the policy aim of several reports and resolutions.
Delegates approved a report by TMA’s Ad Hoc
Committee on Independent Physician Practice defining
independent physician practice as “one or more
physicians with decision-making authority and
responsibility for the viability of the medical practice in
which they own a controlling interest.” The report also TCMS members Kimberly Avila Edwards, MD and
directs TMA to develop additional resources for Thomas Kim, MD at TexMed 2023.

TCMS 2023 July • August 13