Texas law aimed at keeping bad physicians out

A new law will make it harder for another Christopher Duntsch to practice medicine in Texas. HB 1998 was signed into law on June 13. The bill includes several new patient safety measures aimed at keeping bad physicians from flying under the radar and practicing in Texas.

The new law includes:

• Making it a Class A misdemeanor to lie on medical license applications
• Preventing physicians who have had their licenses revoked, restricted, or suspended for cause in other states from practicing in Texas
• Preventing doctors from practicing in Texas if they have been convicted, or had a deferred disposition, for a felony or misdemeanor crime involving moral turpitude
• Requiring physicians and applicants to be fingerprinted as part of a criminal background check with the Texas Department of Public Safety
• Requiring all physicians be monitored monthly with the National Practitioner Data Bank.
• Mandating the Texas Medical Board updates public physician profiles on its website within 10 days of being alerted to any disciplinary action

Before this bill was drafted, local TV affiliate KXAN says that it uncovered at least 49 physicians that were practicing medicine in Texas despite having their medical licenses revoked in other states. KXAN also reported it found “no record of those out-of-state disciplinary actions listed on their Texas Medical Board physician profiles, even though it’s required by state law.”