***New Laws for California Medical Professionals Starting July 1, 2019

Medical license holders in California have a new risk of damage to their reputation to watch out for from licensing board inquiries and consumer complaints. More than ever, Chudnovsky Law is advising licensed healthcare professionals to diligently protect their reputations and tackle consumer complaints and licensing issues as early as possible.

California Introducing New Disclosure Rules For Doctors

The new Patient’s Right to Know Act SB1448 will take effect July 1, 2019. This new law is the 1st of it's kind in the nation. It implements aggressive new disclosure requirements for all types of California medical license holders.
 
Starting July 1, 2019, the Medical Board of California (MBC) will require all disciplined physicians obtain signed disclosures from all patients before their next appointment. The patient disclosures must include: 
 
1) The physician's probation status.
2) The length of the probation and it’s end date.
3) The practice restrictions placed on the medical licensee by MBC.
4) An explanation of how the patient can find further information about the licensee’s probation on the licensee’s MBC website profile page.
 
Examples of the types of issues triggering disclosure requirements include sexual misconduct, overprescribing medications, criminal convictions, DUI or substance abuse.

The Medical Board of California is also implementing enhanced disclosures on their website for consumers with the doctor's profile and complaints.

Types of Licensees Affected

The Medical Board of California is a consumer protection board that operates under the California Department of Consumer Affairs. MBC licenses the following types of medical professionals:

• Physicians
• Surgeons
• Midwives
• Polysomnographic Trainee, Technician or Technologists
• Research Psychoanalyst and Student Research Psychoanalyst

New Medical Board iOS App Sends MBC Discipline Alerts to Patients

In addition to these enhanced disclosure requirements, a new Medical Board of California iOS app now pushes out alerts to consumers if their doctor has received a complaint or license disciplinary action.
 
These agressive new patient’s rights initiatives from the Medical Board of California (MBC) significantly raise the stakes of reputational risk and consequences for disciplined doctors, medical centers and healthcare businesses.

It is Crucial to Proactively Protect Healthcare Licenses

While anyone can make a mistake, for Medical Board of California license holders a mistake or even an accusation of a mistake can put thier license at risk. Mere accusations of an ethics violation, medical malpractice, criminal charge or substance abuse incident can trigger an investigation by the CA Department of Consumer Affairs Division of Investigation and result in a disciplinary action with profound reputation and business risks.

Now, more than ever, it is critical for professional licensees to vigorously protect their license and reputation. Licensees contacted by their Board or facing a disciplinary charge should speak with a professional license defense attorney as soon as possible for help and expert guidance to minimize the consequences.