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Senate Listens, Passes Medicare Bill, Stops Fee Cuts

DSHS Alert- Rabies Vaccine

Having Problems with NPI Only?

Senate Listens, Passes Medicare Bill, Stops Fee Cuts

Intense lobbying by the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee (TEXPAC), and their member physicians paid off as Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison joined 67 of their Senate colleagues in reversing the 10.6-percent cut in Medicare physician payments by a vote of 69-30. The margin is large enough to protect it from President Bush's threatened veto. The vote proved once again that physicians can make a difference when they make their voices heard in Congress.

DSHS Alert
Rabies Vaccine

Due to an ongoing national disruption in human rabies vaccine supplies, both
FDA-approved manufacturers have limited distribution of rabies vaccine for human use to release on a case-by-case basis only, until availability improves. More rabies vaccine should become available nationally by July or August of 2008.
Recently the rabies vaccine inventory at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has dwindled through regular use to unprecedented low levels. DSHS is unable to restock rabies vaccine at the present time, and DSHS distribution locations will probably be depleted soon.
Human rabies vaccine is now primarily only available through one manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur. In light of the difficulty in obtaining rabies vaccine, every reasonable effort should be made to locate the exposing animal for quarantine or testing prior to starting post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
PEP may be delayed in most circumstances until test results or the quarantine outcome is reported. For answers about when PEP may be needed, please contact DSHS at (254) 778-6744.

Click here for additional information from DSHS, including how to purchase the vaccine.

Having Problems with NPI Only?

Now that all claims require full compliance with the National Provider Identifier (NPI) regulations do you need additional assistance? Visit TMA's NPI Resource page today.The National Provider Identifier (NPI) replaces the multiple identifiers formerly used. The TCMS Pocket Directory has NPI numbers of most TCMS members. If we don’t have your number on file, call 206-1146. You may also request an updated excel spreadsheet of the NPI numbers we have in the TCMS database.
With the NPI requirement now in effect, it is important to have the facts. TMA has compiled several resources for your office staff. Visit www.texmed.org for more information or to join the coding and billing community for additional NPI updates and concerns.   

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