25 Days ‘Til “Health Care Doomsday” Could Strike Texas

The Texas Medical Association (TMA), representing more than 50,000 physicians and medical students, today launched the “Texas Health Care Doomsday Calendar Countdown” awareness campaign to let the public know about the dire and shocking crisis ahead for our state if the legislature fails to pass a Sunset continuation bill for the Texas Medical Board.

The board, which licenses physicians, and the Medical Practice Act, the state law that establishes the standards for practicing medicine in this state, will both vanish Sept. 1 without legislative action.

“Only 25 days are left for the Texas Legislature to pass a Sunset continuation bill,” TMA President Carlos J. Cardenas, MD, said today. “Without this, we will see chaos, uncertainty, unnecessary pain and suffering, and possibly avoidable deaths.”

Here is some of the chaos that will happen if we reach Texas Health Care Doomsday:

Without licenses, doctors won’t be able to prescribe medicine and order all needed tests, or practice in hospitals or other facilities that require a state medical license.

• With no legal definition of what it takes to be a physician, anyone could open up shop and call himself or herself a doctor. The public would be exposed to and unprotected from medical quackery.
• Texas, which already has a physician shortage, could lose some of our doctors to other states.

“This is not a doomsday movie script,” Dr. Cardenas added. “It will be a shocking and dangerous health care reality if the legislature doesn't act to keep the Texas Medical Board alive.

“On behalf of our patients, we thank the governor and legislature for their diligent work so far in this special legislative session. But please hear our passionate plea for our patients’ health and safety: Pass the bill. Renew the Texas Medical Board before Sept. 1 so we avoid Texas Health Care Doomsday.”

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 50,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.