The NYS Society of Plastic Surgeons issued its opposition today to the NYS Senate Health Committee to advance legislation that would remove the rights of hospitals and insurance carriers to include standards for credentialing and privileging practices. 

NYSSPS and ASPS are committed to ensuring  patients have the best care possible, and  believe that, across the practice of medicine, such a commitment requires physicians to: (1) stay abreast of the latest clinical research and standards of care; (2) demonstrate their mastery of the latest knowledge through objective and reliable assessment methods; and (3) integrate this knowledge into their practice. 

NYSSPS believes the commitment to lifelong learning and clinical practice improvement that board certification and maintenance of certification (MOC) represent are appropriate criteria for hospitals and insurers undergoing credentialing. 

It does not necessarily think MOC should be a mandated requirement in every state and facility, however, it does believe that S5280/A5140 undercuts the rights of hospitals and insurance carriers to determine what standards are required for participation. 

The government should not dictate standards to experts on credentialing and privileging committees, as these determinations are made through highly-specialized evaluations. 

This bill takes decisions that should be in the hands of doctors and places them in the hands of policymakers. Board certification is unquestionably an appropriate criterion to consider in licensure and for credentialing a physician to a hospital staff or an insurance network, and legislative efforts to undermine its relevance are unwise.

> For the complete memorandum, please contact the NYSSPS office.