April 29, 2015 10:02 AM

Doctors groups share concerns with budget conferees

In letter a letter from TMA and others, doctors ask conferees to focus on a healthier Texas

As House and Senate budget conferees get down to the real work of negotiating what will ultimately be the state’s two-year spending plan, they heard late Tuesday from groups representing nearly 50,000 doctors who are concerned about several big ticket items.

Those concerns were expressed in a letter signed by the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Pediatric Society Texas Academy of Family Physicians, the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians Services, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Texas Chapter, the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Federation of Texas Psychiatry.

"Of primary importance to physicians is ensuring our patients have access to effective, timely, and high quality health care — the same goals we know you share," the groups wrote and then outlined recommendations they said would help "ensure Texas remains an economically prosperous and competitive place to do business."

By Scott Braddock