End of lifetime licenses in NY?

[Madmedicine]

Anyone know what this is all about? As far as I know we have to renew our licenses every three years .

 

The governor is proposing more transparency in investigating physicians and wants them to have to renew licenses. Will this help patients?

By Michael Woyton, Patch Staff

Jan 18, 2020 12:30 pm ET

      Gov. Cuomo has proposed strengthening the oversight of doctors and other medical professionals, including having them periodically renew their licenses.

Among Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposals for the 2020 agenda is a set of reforms targeting doctors and other medical professionals aimed to protect patients. The reforms being proposed include providing more transparency in the disciplinary process for physicians and reducing the length of misconduct investigations.

Cuomo said physicians should be held accountable when they violate their medical oath.

"These sweeping proposals will help ensure patients have access to critical information they need to make informed decisions about their healthcare and give state health regulators more tools to investigate and penalize providers for dangerous, unethical or illegal behavior," he said in a press release.

 

 

Another proposal which might have more of an effect on patients would be the removal of lifetime licenses for physicians, PAs and others. Under current law, they keep their licenses, even if they move out of state, unless some action is taken against them.

Cuomo wants to require doctors to periodically renew their state medical licenses or lose them, along with the ability to practice medicine in New York.

 

Arthur Fougner, M.D., president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, is concerned how the proposed transparency would impact due process of the physicians.

"A claim of misconduct from the state is more than just a bad Yelp review," he said in a post on the society's website. "It can be career ending. Is this truly what the governor is asking for?"

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.

 

[BrianR]

Cuomo's a moron who never saw another onerous law he didn't like.  I've been practicing in NY for 33 years and I don't know what the hell this even means.  And doubtful the governor does either.  A "lifetime" license?  No idea.