Anti-Maintenance of Certification Laws and Older Physician Supply

Abstract

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) mandates Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exams every ten years. MOC is believed to improve patient care and physician skills, but some states consider it expensive and burdensome and have introduced anti-MOC laws. We exploit state-level staggered adoption of anti-MOC laws and found a 0.7-1% biannual increase in older physicians aged 60+ in states with anti-MOC laws, with no effect on physicians under 60. This 0.7-1% increase translates to 2,243–3,154 additional older physicians aged 60+. The study suggests that anti-MOC laws improve older physician supply and access to health care and address physician shortages.

Keywords: Anti-Maintenance of certification, Physicians, Healthcare access