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Go back to First Page %u2022 Harris County Physician Newsletter %u2022 October 2025 %u2022 www.hcms.org 5 HCMS and TMA online membership directoriesAs a member, your profile is featured in the online Harris County Physician Directory and TMA%u2019s Find a Physician. Keep your information up to date to enhance your visibility and increase referrals.If you do not have a photo or haven%u2019t provided HCMS with a photo in more than ten years, we recommend updating your HCMS record with a new photo. Visit www.hcms.org/FindADoc to update your profile.NEWS BRIEFS2025 Annual Business MeetingThe Harris County Medical Society and Houston Academy of Medicine Annual Business Meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28, via Zoom. Registration is required, so be sure to sign up at https://fs7.formsite.com/yfKOMO/2vytr1w4ij/index.Social Determinants of HealthHCMS has resources that can assist in implementing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) assessments in a busy practice, providing screening tools, workflows, community referral sources, and billing guidance. These tools and resources are helpful in navigating the complex and often sensitive discussions with patients about their non-medical needs and addressing them successfully. Visit our SDoH page at www.hcms.org/SocialDeterminants.Presented by the HCMS Board on SocioeconomicsYour guide through the TMB disciplinary processAs a physician, you strive to maintain high quality standards medically, professionally, and ethically.However, despite your best efforts, you may find yourself the subject of a Texas Medical Board (TMB) investigation. If so, you need to understand how your responses and actions throughout the process may affect you now and in the future.The Texas Medical Association (TMA) provides guidance in the publication Texas Medical Board Investigations: A Physician%u2019s Guide Through the Disciplinary Process.Earn CME credit and learn more about TMB%u2019s priority areas for disciplinary review, settlement options, which violations get reported, consulting an attorney, making the process go smoothly, and cases involving physician substance abuse.This informative, practical, and highly-rated guide is free for members and may be ordered under the Education section of the TMA website at https://bit.ly/3WfGphM.Although being the subject of a TMB investigation can feel daunting, this TMA publication makes the process much clearer.Be proactive %u2013 find some reassurance in learning how a TMB investigation works before ever needing to know!Source: TMAPresented by the HCMS Board of EthicsNovitas ends Medicare eligibility by phoneEffective Nov. 1 for Texas jurisdictions, the option to obtain patient eligibility information from Novitas%u2019s interactive voice response (IVR) system will be eliminated. Eligibility information will only be available in the Novitasphere portal. If you are not enrolled for Novitasphere, you must submit the Novitasphere enrollment form for portal access. The enrollment process to gain access to Novitasphere takes 1 - 2 weeks.Presented by the HCMS Board on SocioeconomicsHCMS Practice HelpHCMS has successfully provided payment and practice management assistance to members since 2000. Our diligence in intervening on our members%u2019 behalf to resolve payerrelated issues has resulted in recouping more than $31,000,000 in improperly paid claims, free of charge. Our success in resolving systemic issues has benefited physicians on a nationwide scale, the impact of which is immeasurable. Visit our Payment and Practice Help page for more information at www.hcms.org/PaymentAdvocacy.Presented by the HCMS Board on Socioeconomics