The Monthly Dose: April 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of "The Monthly Dose"!

Let’s dig in!

We’re excited to announce two major developments that advance physician choice and modernize credentialing standards.

UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest insurers, has formally confirmed that its credentialing policies do not require participation in costly Maintenance of Certification (MOC) programs. In a recent letter, UnitedHealthcare emphasized that physician competency is best demonstrated through initial board certification, active clinical practice, and ongoing learning—not burdensome testing. The organization also affirmed that NBPAS certification is accepted as part of its credentialing process, reinforcing the shift toward fair, evidence-based standards.

Additionally, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), which operates Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, now accepts NBPAS board certification. As the largest customer-owned health insurer in the country, HCSC’s acceptance is a powerful endorsement and a major milestone in our mission to expand recognition nationwide.

We extend our sincere thanks to Monica Berner, MD, Senior Vice President of Markets and Chief Clinical Officer at HCSC, and an NBPAS-certified family physician, for her leadership in helping make this possible at HCSC.

NBPAS is pleased to announce that five Ascension Saint Thomas hospitals in Tennessee have formally confirmed their acceptance of NBPAS certification. Physicians at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford, River Park, DeKalb, Highlands, and Stones River now have a choice for continuous board certification.

This continued momentum reflects the growing recognition among hospital systems that NBPAS offers a rigorous, clinically relevant, and less burdensome pathway for continuous certification and lifelong learning.

NBPAS is grateful to the leadership at Ascension for their commitment to supporting physician choice and modernizing credentialing standards.

NBPAS is proud to announce that the American Thoracic Society (ATS) has officially added NBPAS as a recognized board certification option in its professional database. This important milestone was made possible through the dedicated efforts of NBPAS diplomate, Lance A. Parton, M.D., who proactively engaged with ATS leadership to advocate for NBPAS inclusion.

In response, the ATS acknowledged the evolving landscape of physician certification and affirmed its commitment to reflecting these changes within its organization. The ATS joins the American Psychiatric Society (APA) as the second specialty society to officially recognize NBPAS.

Inspired by Dr. Parton’s initiative, we strongly encourage all NBPAS-certified physicians to reach out to their respective specialty societies and request similar recognition. To assist in this effort, we’ve provided a template letter that you can use to begin the conversation.

We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Parton for his leadership and to the American Thoracic Association for its support of physician choice and progress in the field.

Texas State Senate Bill 2207 passed out of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee and on a bipartisan, unanimous (7–0) vote and also through the full Senate!

Next Steps: The bill now moves to the House side of the State Legislature, where it will go through a similar process which first requires a subcommittee review before being brought before all Texas House Representatives. While this is an exciting milestone, the work is far from over.

Quick Recap: SB 2207 would amend Texas’ “Advertising as Board Certified" rule by putting an end to a hidden, de facto MOC requirement, and allowing NBPAS physicians to advertise as “board certified.” Only a handful of states still maintain similarly outdated restrictions, and we’re hopeful Texas can lead the way with this reform. We expect strong opposition and aggressive counter-lobbying, but we’re actively working to educate lawmakers and key stakeholders on the importance of physician choice.

Thank you to the hundreds of NBPAS-certified physicians in Texas who have already voiced their support. Your advocacy is making a difference, and we’ll need your continued help to get this across the finish line.

Stay tuned for more updates and upcoming calls to action!

Just before the holidays, language was quietly inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2025 defining a certification board as one aligned with standards from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) and the American Medical Association (AMA). While this may seem routine, it raises concerns.

ABMS holds influential positions within ICE and has played a significant role in shaping its definitions. Meanwhile, AMA’s stance on continuous certification—already under scrutiny—was shielded from debate after a major resolution, backed by the AMA's New England Delegation, was tabled behind closed doors. Though the reasons for this action remain unclear, the lack of public deliberation has prompted concerns about process, openness, and conflicts of interests at the AMA.

Although ABMS now claims the new Defense Health Agency standard "should be adopted" by other agencies to broaden physician options, its actions suggest the opposite: narrowing pathways, limiting choice, and reinforcing a single system of control, particularly within military and veteran care.

NBPAS believes physicians, especially those who serve our nation, deserve transparency, flexibility, and competition. NBPAS continues to advocate for policies that promote fairness and uphold the best interests of our profession and those we serve.

Stay tuned: NBPAS is actively bringing these developments to the attention of key stakeholders within government and will share more as our efforts progress.

With growing payer acceptance, including recent affirmations from UnitedHealthcare and Elevance Health, now is the perfect time to introduce your hospital to NBPAS. Many hospitals simply aren’t aware that an alternative to MOC exists. You can help change that. Visit our website to access a step-by-step resource for presenting NBPAS to your hospital’s credentialing team: nbpas.org/pages/introducing-nbpas-to-your-hospital.

Your voice matters. Help bring choice and clinical relevance to board certification.

Mark your calendars for the second NBPAS Leadership Academy covering State Licensure and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.

Join us to better understand the requirements and barriers in state medical licensure, MOC, and the role of the FSMB and IMLC, along with efforts to drive change. We plan a comprehensive review and an opportunity to ask questions.

Champions of Change

Thank you to all NBPAS physicians who go above and beyond to champion life-long learning while advocating for competition and choice in continuing certification.

The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) is proud to recognize Dr. Carlos Vital, MD, as our April Champion of Change.

A distinguished leader in the medical field, Dr. Vital is highly regarded on local, regional, and national levels for his contributions to allergy, asthma, medical education, healthcare policy, legislation, and community engagement. He currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the largest County Medical Society in the United States, Harris County Medical Society. Dr. Carlos Vital is also a Board Member of the Texas Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Society Board of Directors —recognized as the largest state allergy society in the United States.

He presently serves as health policy advisor to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and is a current member of the Board of the Directors of the Texas Health Services Authority. Dr. Vital’s expertise in bipartisan health policy has made him a trusted advisor to both U.S. presidential administrations and the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. In addition, he holds memberships with the Texas Medical Association and the Houston Medical Forum.

His accomplishments extend beyond policy work. Dr. Vital has been featured on the Discovery Channel’s Profiles Series, served as a Presenting Sponsor for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, and was named Physician Champion for Allergy & Immunology at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and is part of the medical staff at Memorial Hermann Southeast, St. Joseph Medical Center, and The Methodist Hospital.

NBPAS extends our sincere gratitude to Dr. Vital for his visionary, nonpartisan leadership and steadfast advocacy on behalf of NBPAS physicians and the patients they serve.