Physician Advocacy Toolkit

Strengthen the Workforce.
Take Action in Your State.

NBPAS has assembled six ready-to-use advocacy tools — letters, resolutions, and legislation templates — to help physicians drive certification reform at every level of the system.

260+
Accepting Hospitals
2,675+
Dialysis Facilities
$94.50
Annual Cost (vs $340+/yr MOC)
15,000+
Certified Physicians

The Case for Certification Reform

The U.S. faces a projected shortfall of 137,130 physicians by 2037 — while mandatory MOC programs continue to impose unproven burdens that drive experienced clinicians from practice.

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its 24 member boards hold near-exclusive control over physician recertification. Their Maintenance of Certification (MOC) programs impose significant costs, administrative time, and clinical disruption — yet no high-quality, non-conflicted evidence shows MOC improves patient outcomes. ABMS and member boards have amassed over $839 million in net holdings, much of it derived from MOC revenue. NBPAS was founded in 2015 as a transparent, evidence-based alternative: rigorous CME in your specialty, a simple two-year cycle, and a $94.50 annual cost. This toolkit gives physicians the tools to advocate for change at every level — hospitals, payers, medical societies, state legislatures, and the IMLC.

Six Ready-to-Use Advocacy Documents

Each file is fully editable. Customize with your name, state, and institution — then send. Most take under 10 minutes to personalize.

1
Introductory Letter to Physicians

An overview of the toolkit and how physician colleagues can use these materials to advocate for NBPAS recognition and MOC reform within their own states and institutions.

Audience: Physician Colleagues
2
General Advocacy Letter

A comprehensive template calling for NBPAS recognition and certification reform. Covers workforce data, cost comparisons, clinical relevance, and NBPAS's growing institutional acceptance.

Audience: Hospitals · Payors · Societies
3
Medical Society / AMA Resolution

A formal resolution for introduction at state or national medical society meetings. Calls on the AMA to amend policies that reinforce mandatory MOC and restrict physician choice in certification.

Audience: State Medical Societies · AMA
4
State Legislation & Lawmaker Education

Draft legislation language plus an education brief for state lawmakers on the MOC monopoly, physician workforce impact, and concrete steps states can take to expand credentialing flexibility.

Audience: State Legislators · Health Committees
5
Medical Staff Professional's Credentialing Guide

A practical, evidence-based guide for medical staff professionals. Includes a checklist for optimizing physician recruitment and retention by recognizing multiple certification pathways.

Audience: MSPs · Credentialing Committees
6
IMLC Commissioner Letter

Requests the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact amend Rule MLC 5.4 1(d) to remove an unintended de facto MOC requirement currently blocking thousands of board-certified physicians from Compact access.

Audience: IMLC State Commissioners

Download the Complete Advocacy Toolkit

All six documents in a single ZIP file — fully editable and ready to customize.

Download All (.zip)

Four Steps to Make an Impact

These materials are designed to be adapted, personalized, and sent. Get started in under 30 minutes.

01
Download Your Materials

Choose the documents most relevant to your targets — hospitals, legislators, medical societies, or the IMLC.

02
Customize for Your State

Fill in your name, state, and institution. Replace all bracketed placeholders with local data before sending.

03
Identify Your Targets

Your hospital's credentialing chair, state medical society, IMLC commissioner, or state health committee leadership.

04
Send & Follow Up

Send by email or certified mail, then follow up in two weeks. Co-signatories from colleagues amplify impact.

Ready-to-Send Distribution Email

Use or adapt this when distributing the toolkit to colleagues, your department, or your network.

Subject:  Physician Advocacy Toolkit — Take Action on MOC Reform & Workforce Access

Dear Colleagues,

I'm sharing a practical advocacy toolkit assembled by NBPAS to help physicians take action on certification reform at the hospital, state, and national level. Each document is fully editable and takes under 10 minutes to personalize.

The toolkit includes six documents:

  • Introductory Letter — Overview of the toolkit and advocacy goals for physician colleagues
  • General Advocacy Letter — For hospitals, payors, and specialty societies
  • AMA Resolution — Formal resolution for state or national medical society meetings
  • Legislation Template — Draft bill language + education brief for state lawmakers
  • Credentialing Guide — Evidence-based checklist for medical staff professionals
  • IMLC Letter — For IMLC commissioners re: expedited licensure eligibility rule

Download all six at: nbpas.org/toolkit

Thank you for your commitment to physician autonomy and patient access to care.


View Full Toolkit