You have invested heavily in your future; putting forth effort, time, and significant expense to get where you are today. As you near the conclusion of your medical residency, you expect a successful career of personal satisfaction and accomplishment. Still, no one can say with certainty what the future holds. If the unexpected should happen, proper insurance coverage will help you meet the unknown head on. What type on insurance should you carry as a resident or fellow? For those who aren’t sure where to start, we have created a package of the most essential insurance products for physicians who are starting out in their careers.

Imagine going to a very nice restaurant. You sit down at a table and the waiter asks for your order. After you place your order he points to the kitchen and says “Please pick it up in 10 minutes. And when you’re done, kindly bring your dishes back to where you got them.”

Is this the type of service you expect from a high quality restaurant?

As the owner of a medical practice, we don’t have to tell you that providing group benefits for your employees can be costly. In fact, you could be paying a significant part of your revenue for employee benefits. So it makes sense that you are entitled to ask this question – am I getting the service that I’m paying for?

It’s no secret that today’s health insurance marketplace can be complex, chaotic and confusing. And as a practice owner, you certainly know that trying to control health insurance costs can be a challenge.

But we found some information that might surprise you. It’s not very well publicized but it could be extremely helpful if you want to gain more control over your health insurance costs.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

A wise proverb. Maybe not one that immediately comes to mind when you think about health insurance. But if you are an owner of a practice, teaming up with a knowledgeable partner could help you go a long way toward the goal of controlling your health insurance costs.

Not all medical practices chose a new health insurance plan by January 1. Perhaps your practice has a group policy that renews at some other point during the year. When you receive renewal paperwork, you may find alarming premium increases and other plan changes.

Here is some good news: with ACA health insurance, you can’t be rejected or charged a higher premium if you have a pre-existing condition. However, ACA health coverage must be purchased during a limited timeframe. That period is ending very soon. You should know that if you miss open enrollment, the remaining health insurance options may leave you ill!

The window of opportunity for taking advantage of the Affordable Care Act’s annual open enrollment period is about to close. In order to obtain health insurance coverage effective March 1, 2017, you must sign up starting January 16th and no later than the January 31st deadline.

Why did you join the TMA? Many physicians become members because the Texas Medical Association represents the interests of physicians in state and federal legislation. Some physicians join to take advantage of the professional networking opportunities. Still others see the value in joining for the exceptional medical liability insurance through the Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT). We agree that these are all excellent reasons to join the TMA.