Relating to the Texas Physician Health Program and the regulation of certain occupations by the Texas Medical Board; expanding the applicability of surcharges.

Contracts

• Staffing Agency MSAs: Update Master Service Agreements with allied health staffing vendors. Require warranties that placed staff (e.g., MRTs, Respiratory Therapists) are compliant with the new Texas Physician Health Program (TxPHP) requirements.
• Employment Agreements: Review "Licensure Reimbursement" clauses. If you cap reimbursement at a fixed dollar amount, the new surcharges (approx. $16.25 increase) may trigger contract disputes or require payroll adjustments.

Hiring/Training

• Credentialing Protocols: The TMB will now perform "continuous queries" on the NPDB. Credentialing staff must increase the frequency of license verification checks; a clear license can now be flagged with disciplinary data within 10 days of a federal report.
• Adverse Action Reporting: HR teams must be trained that allied health professionals are now subject to mandatory TxPHP participation for substance or mental health issues as a condition of licensure.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Profile Alignment: Internal credentialing files must mirror the TMB public profile. If the TMB updates a profile based on an NPDB hit, your internal records must reflect this immediately to avoid negligent credentialing liability.
• Surcharge Accounting: Update accounts payable systems to recognize two new line items for allied health renewals: the TxPHP Surcharge and the NPDB Query Surcharge.

Fees & Costs

• Budget Impact: Anticipate an increase of approximately $16.25 per licensee per renewal cycle.
• Specific Fees:
• TxPHP Surcharge: Capped at $15 (Fiscal Note estimates $5.25).
• NPDB Query Surcharge: At cost (Fiscal Note estimates $11.00).
• Penalty: Failure to pay these surcharges results in automatic denial of licensure or renewal.