How Physicians Eat their Young

"Dear Colleague," begins the 5 February 2014 issue of the American College of Physicians newsletter just before it tells the recipient that "our records indicate that you earned your ABIM certification prior to 1990 and therefore hold a time-unlimited certificate." The newsletter then reminds internists in this category that they're sometimes  referred to as "grandfathered" because they don't have to recertify every ten years. Next comes the financially self-serving bombshell with the newsletter's announcements of the "ABIM Maintenance of Certification Changes" and the disclosure that "as of March 31, 2014, ABIM will begin reporting whether or not board-certified internists (including those with time-unlimited certification) are meeting 'Meeting MOC Requirements.' "


In other words, starting on 3/31/14 some internists will be more equal than others (see George Orwell's 1984).


The hammer falls on the next page where the newsletter tells its readers that "If you do not complete the ABIM MOC program requirements, you  will be reported as 'Certified, not Meeting MOC Requirements.' You will NOT be reported as "Not Certified" for failing to meet MOC requirements." Internists who don't measure up can count their lucky stars for ACP's largesse and also for the advice of its lawyers about what ACP needed to do to avoid individual and class action lawsuits.


This article from ACP does not disclose costs to prospective participants but it does mention that passing the MOC exam by 12/31/23 "is in addition to continuing to meeting the point requirements of the MOC program (including the two- and five-year milestones."


The first comment we've received by one of the board-certified internists with a time-unlimited certificate is this wry remark : "So ... they are going to allow those of us that do not have to recertify to continue to be listed as certified but will list us in a way that sounds LESS CERTIFIED than those that pay them (underlining added)."


We looked up some of the information that we think all physicians should be interested in, boarded or not, recertified or not. We relied on IRS Form 990, a public document few physicians ever see.


As of 2011, total assets of the American Board of Internal Medicine were $57,586,843. Internists should ask themselves why ABIM needs total assets of nearly $60 million. ABIM's Chairman of the Board's pay package was about $800,000 -- not bad, eh?  Recertification costs for an allergist were $2,700 while MOC costs for allergists were $2,850. Why shouldn't ACP want to get in on the action if there's a ready contingent eager to pay?


In fact, the door is open, not so much for complainants, but for competitors who can identify a possible need and a probable payer (the latter is the crucial element!). It's part of physicians' flight or fight response from the practice of medicine, unfortunately, with the focus on flight.


References


Journal  of American Physicians and Dentists, V. 16, #2, Summer, 2011, "Board Certification -- a Malignant Growth," Dubravic, Martin, MD


www.politicsofhealthcare.com, Saturday, 7/21/12, "Money and Medicine," Weinmann, Robert, MD


Journal of American Physicians and Dentists, V. 18, # 3, Fall, 2013, "Maintenance of Certification (MOC): the Elite Agenda for  Medicine," Christman, Kenneth, MD ("the elite medical establishment correctly foresaw that there was a huge treasure in the medical certification business")