The North Carolina Medical Board is considering the creation of a Special Purpose License for Administrative Medicine for physicians who do non-certification work for health insurers, pursuant to N.C.Gen.Stat.58- 50-61(d). The limited license would also be available to other physicians practicing administrative medicine such as chief medical officers at hospitals. Any physician holding an administrative license would be unable to practice clinical medicine and would not have prescriptive authority.
The NC Medical Society has serious concerns about this proposal, given the level of control and influence these physicians have on medical care delivery. A relaxed licensure standard is not appropriate under the circumstances. The NCMS will continue its dialogue with the NCMB on the issue to ensure our concerns are communicated.
On Tuesday, March 16, at 3 p.m., the NC Medical Board will be holding an open meeting to discuss this issue at the Board’s office in Raleigh. Anyone may attend or submit comments to the Board in writing. A copy of the proposal can be found here.
at 8:40 pm
I agree with NCMS’s position. CMO’s do, in effect, practice medicine by virtue of their supervision of and influence over physicians employed by a hospital/health system. Their licensure requirements should be no different than those for any other practicing physician.