SJR62 Summary

• Urges the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to make immediate changes to its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, including eliminating mandatory high-stakes testing, creating alternative recertification pathways, and significantly reducing costs and time requirements for physicians.

• Expresses Alabama physicians' concerns that the current MOC program imposes burdensome requirements including significant time away from clinical practice and considerable financial expenditures for review courses, materials, and travel to testing sites.

• Notes that while specialty board certification is technically voluntary, it has increasingly become required for hospital staff privileges and reimbursement, effectively making it mandatory.

• References the 2017 Medical Association of the State of Alabama policy opposing further MOC requirements as conditions of licensure, reimbursement, employment, or hospital admitting privileges.

• Warns ABMS that absent substantial improvement in MOC, physicians will likely seek alternative certifying boards with more clinically relevant, non-punitive programs and that federal or state legislative remedies may be pursued.