Administrative Licenses
Texas Occupations Code Section 155.009 directs the Board to create an Administrative Medical license. The purpose is to license physicians who no longer directly treat patients, but do make decisions that can directly or indirectly affect patient care, such as doctors who work for insurance companies or are medical directors for large hospitals. The goal, like with general licensing, is to ensure these individuals have the proper background, education, good ethical character and can be regulated by the Board.
This statute directs the Board to issue these licenses and to create rules to govern them. However, to date, the Board has not done so. In fact, there are no rules on this statute, despite the statute directing the Board to do so. What is done now, for those who bother to apply (we do not know how many have not applied for a license working as an administrative physician) the Board issues a non-disciplinary order granting those doctors a license, but limiting them to administrative medicine.
There are two problems with this: First, there is no definition for what administrative medicine is, and second, even a non-disciplinary order must be on the Board’s web site. It may be a reportable event, and costs more money as the doctor must meet with the licensure committee of the Board, which only meets six times a year. This delays the process, requires the doctor to make an appearance in Austin , and lumps the doctor with others applicants who may have much more significant issues.
The Board really needs to follow its own statute and get moving on this issue, both to make a fairer process for the doctors who do apply for a license and to take action against those who have not applied for a license and who are making medical decisions without a license, affecting patient’s lives.
