New Legislation Prevents Texas Hospitals & Health Plans From Requiring Physicians To Maintain Board Certifications

On June 15, 2017, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that prevents hospitals and health plans from differentiating between physicians based on their maintenance of board certification. However the bill does provide exceptions for certain situations where differentiation will be permitted. Beginning January 1, 2018, unless they qualify for an exception, hospitals and health plans will be prohibited from differentiating between physicians based solely on a physician's maintenance of certification (MOC) status. Further, the bill prohibits the Texas Medical Board (TMB) from requiring MOC or adopting a rule that would require MOC as a condition of eligibility for . . .