CCA: New Texas legislation expands patient access to affordable care

HOUSTON A new Texas law, effective Sept. 1, will expand access to safe and affordable care at convenient care clinics throughout the state, the Convenient Care Association announced on Thursday.

The new legislation, SB 532, is supported by the CCA and the Texas Medical Association, and sponsored by state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, and Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston.

SB 532 streamlines requirements for physicians who oversee the nurse practitioners and physician assistants working within the retail-based clinics. This, in turn, reduces clinic costs without compromising quality of care or integration with the medical community, CCA stated. This is particularly important in Texas, where 25% of the state’s residents are uninsured and 20% report having foregone medical care because of its high costs.

“This new law ensures that physicians will continue to monitor convenient care clinics in order to protect patient safety, ensure positive health outcomes, and make certain that patients with more serious illnesses are referred for appropriate follow-up care,” stated William H. Fleming III, M.D., president of the Texas Medical Association.

Added Tine Hansen-Turton, executive director of the CCA, “Convenient care clinics have treated millions of patients throughout the country and hundreds of thousands of patients in Texas over the last four years. The new law governing alternative practice sites helps ensure that these clinics will continue to provide easy access to affordable health care throughout the state.”

There currently are four CCA member companies operating retail-based clinics in the state:

• MinuteClinic within select CVS/pharmacy stores
• RediClinic within select HEB stores
• Take Care Health Systems within select Walgreens stores
• Christus Medical Group within select Walmart stores.