You did it! Because of the hard work of so many in the physician community, SB1148 made it across the finish line. This has been a long journey. Thank you to all those who testified, wrote letters and made calls–your part was invaluable! 

The bill encountered major opposition from the hospital lobby, ABMS, and others who profit from MOC abuse. Sen. Dawn Buckingham, M.D., the bills author, and Rep. Greg Bonnen, M.D., the House sponsor, stood strong against the attacks and made sure the protections in the bill remained as strong as possible.

You can click here to read the final version as passed. We didn’t get everything we wanted this time but it is a major step towards the final goal of ending MOC mandates.

Here’s a summary of the main provisions in the final bill:

• MOC cannot generally be required for insurance company participation, or as a condition of payment for in- or out-of-network physicians.
• Most hospitals will no longer be able to require MOC for staff privileges. There were a few exemptions won by the Hospital lobby including medical schools and “comprehensive cancer centers, as designated by the National Cancer Institute.” For other hospitals, a compromise provision was included to allow MOC requirements only if the medical staff votes to authorize a requirement. The staff can also vote to rescind a requirement.
• MOC cannot be required as a condition of licensure.

Thank you again for your hard work! The journey is by no means over. We will continue to work on further improvements that will benefit Texas physicians and their patients.