National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) 3:03 AM (9 hours ago) to me View newsletter in browser THE MONTHLY DOSE ———— August 2026 ———— Insights, advocacy, and updates from NBPAS Advocacy Updates A Major Step Forward for Florida Physicians The Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine have approved NBPAS as a Recognizing Agency The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) is excited to share an important development for Florida physicians and patients. On August 7, 2026, the Florida Board of Medicine voted to approve NBPAS as a recognizing agency under the state’s physician advertising rule. On August 21, 2026, the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine reached the same conclusion, also voting in favor of adding NBPAS for the purposes of advertising as board certified. The Boards reached these conclusions through an evaluation process provided under Florida law, which recognizes that agency rules can have unintended consequences and permits a waiver when: The purpose of the rule has been achieved by other means; and, Applying the rule literally would create substantial harm; and/or Applying the rule literally would violate principles of fairness. Through their analyses, both Boards recognized that NBPAS physicians had already completed the foundational training and rigorous specialty examination required to establish the required specialty expertise, in addition to meeting the statutory criteria for a rule waiver. These decisions are significant milestones and advance competitive alternatives for physician lifelong learning while helping highly experienced NBPAS physicians remain in practice and caring for patients. They also will allow NBPAS-certified physicians to truthfully advertise an earned, terminal, board certification credential. As NBPAS President and Founder Paul Teirstein, MD, noted, the decisions demonstrate that “physician choice, competition, and high standards are not mutually exclusive.” For Florida physicians, and any physicians licensed in Florida through interstate licensing, please stay tuned. There may be important upcoming opportunities to submit written comments and provide in-person testimony before both the Florida medical boards as they finalize rule language. Physician participation will be critical in helping ensure these decisions translate into meaningful choice, increased competition, truthful advertising, and improved access to care for Florida patients. Finally, please note, the formal rulemaking process is not yet complete. NBPAS-certified physicians should not advertise themselves as “board certified” until the rulemaking has concluded. NBPAS will keep everyone informed as the process moves forward. Read NBPAS’ Press Release: https://nbpas.org/blogs/featured-news/florida-board-of-medicine-approves-nbpas-as-a-recognizing-agency From the NBPAS Desk NBPAS Competitors Issue Misleading and Disappointing Responses Following Florida’s Medical Board decisions, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) suggested that NBPAS lacks adequate assessment protocols, and that the Medical Board’s decision was only possible by, “exempting NBPAS from a critical requirement in the existing rule.” The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) claimed that the decision undermined “meaningful standards.” Both organizations omitted the central fact that entirely negates their arguments: NBPAS-certified physicians were already trained, tested, and designated as board certified specialists. As the NBPAS community knows, all NBPAS-certified physicians completed accredited residency and/or fellowship training and passed gold-standard specialty board examinations. They remain licensed, complete specialty-relevant CME, undergo hospital credentialing and peer oversight, and remain accountable to state medical boards, patients, and the public. Describing NBPAS-certified physicians as unassessed or suggesting that the Boards of Medicine erred by exempting NBPAS physicians from ‘critical requirements’ are not technical disagreements. These statements are attempts to ignore residency training, board examinations, years or decades of clinical experience, and every other system through which physicians remain accountable. These statements create the impression that Florida opened the door to untrained, unqualified, or untruthful physicians. These statements are false. NBPAS has always acted with integrity when responding to mis- and dis-information. However, we will not allow organizations to frighten patients, mislead decision-makers, or disparage NBPAS-certified physicians without correction or redress. The facts remain the same. Forced, paid compliance is not competence. Physician quality is demonstrated through training, examination, experience, licensure, continuing education, and patient care—not by whether a private organization receives another fee. A late fee is not a quality metric. An open-book module is not patient care. And losing access to a verification database because of nonpayment or competitive choice does not make a physician less capable the next morning. The Florida medical boards examined the facts and approved NBPAS’ waiver. That is not an example of disregarding the law. It is an example of using the law, exactly as written, for its intended purpose. NBPAS is proud to stand with Florida’s physicians, and with Florida, in defending physician freedom, fair competition, and patient access to care. What's New at NBPAS A Fresh Look for NBPAS.org A refreshed NBPAS.org is coming soon! We're updating our website with a new homepage, improved navigation, and a cleaner look and feel designed to make it easier to find the information and resources you need. As NBPAS continues to grow, we want our website to grow with us. We hope you'll take a look around and explore what's new. Take a Look Around One Thing You Can Do This Month Tell Your Colleagues The recent Florida Boards of Medicine decisions mark important progress for physician choice and give us some good news worth talking about. Tell a colleague who may not know about the decision or NBPAS. Helping another physician become aware of their options can make a difference. Sometimes the most meaningful introduction to NBPAS comes from another physician. Explore NBPAS Physicians Supporting Physicians More than 15,000 physicians across the country have chosen NBPAS to maintain their board certification. Founded by physicians, NBPAS offers a physician-led approach focused on lifelong learning and clinically relevant continuing education, without repeated high-stakes testing and unnecessary administrative burden. Requirements include: Initial certification from an ABMS or AOA board An active, unrestricted medical license 50 hours of specialty-specific Category 1 CME within the past 24 months Joining NBPAS means becoming part of a growing community of physicians committed to both high standards and physician choice. The online application takes less than six minutes to complete. Apply to NBPAS Renew Your Certification Suggestions Have an idea, need help? Reach out to NBPAS at info@nbpas.org. Someone from the team will be happy to get back to you.

National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) 3:03 AM (9 hours ago) to me View newsletter in browser THE MONTHLY DOSE ———— August 2026 ———— Insights, advocacy, and updates from NBPAS Advocacy Updates A Major Step Forward for Florida Physicians The Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine have approved NBPAS as a Recognizing Agency The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) is excited to share an important development for Florida physicians and patients. On August 7, 2026, the Florida Board of Medicine voted to approve NBPAS as a recognizing agency under the state’s physician advertising rule. On August 21, 2026, the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine reached the same conclusion, also voting in favor of adding NBPAS for the purposes of advertising as board certified. The Boards reached these conclusions through an evaluation process provided under Florida law, which recognizes that agency rules can have unintended consequences and permits a waiver when: The purpose of the rule has been achieved by other means; and, Applying the rule literally would create substantial harm; and/or Applying the rule literally would violate principles of fairness. Through their analyses, both Boards recognized that NBPAS physicians had already completed the foundational training and rigorous specialty examination required to establish the required specialty expertise, in addition to meeting the statutory criteria for a rule waiver. These decisions are significant milestones and advance competitive alternatives for physician lifelong learning while helping highly experienced NBPAS physicians remain in practice and caring for patients. They also will allow NBPAS-certified physicians to truthfully advertise an earned, terminal, board certification credential. As NBPAS President and Founder Paul Teirstein, MD, noted, the decisions demonstrate that “physician choice, competition, and high standards are not mutually exclusive.” For Florida physicians, and any physicians licensed in Florida through interstate licensing, please stay tuned. There may be important upcoming opportunities to submit written comments and provide in-person testimony before both the Florida medical boards as they finalize rule language. Physician participation will be critical in helping ensure these decisions translate into meaningful choice, increased competition, truthful advertising, and improved access to care for Florida patients. Finally, please note, the formal rulemaking process is not yet complete. NBPAS-certified physicians should not advertise themselves as “board certified” until the rulemaking has concluded. NBPAS will keep everyone informed as the process moves forward. Read NBPAS’ Press Release: https://nbpas.org/blogs/featured-news/florida-board-of-medicine-approves-nbpas-as-a-recognizing-agency From the NBPAS Desk NBPAS Competitors Issue Misleading and Disappointing Responses Following Florida’s Medical Board decisions, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) suggested that NBPAS lacks adequate assessment protocols, and that the Medical Board’s decision was only possible by, “exempting NBPAS from a critical requirement in the existing rule.” The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) claimed that the decision undermined “meaningful standards.” Both organizations omitted the central fact that entirely negates their arguments: NBPAS-certified physicians were already trained, tested, and designated as board certified specialists. As the NBPAS community knows, all NBPAS-certified physicians completed accredited residency and/or fellowship training and passed gold-standard specialty board examinations. They remain licensed, complete specialty-relevant CME, undergo hospital credentialing and peer oversight, and remain accountable to state medical boards, patients, and the public. Describing NBPAS-certified physicians as unassessed or suggesting that the Boards of Medicine erred by exempting NBPAS physicians from ‘critical requirements’ are not technical disagreements. These statements are attempts to ignore residency training, board examinations, years or decades of clinical experience, and every other system through which physicians remain accountable. These statements create the impression that Florida opened the door to untrained, unqualified, or untruthful physicians. These statements are false. NBPAS has always acted with integrity when responding to mis- and dis-information. However, we will not allow organizations to frighten patients, mislead decision-makers, or disparage NBPAS-certified physicians without correction or redress. The facts remain the same. Forced, paid compliance is not competence. Physician quality is demonstrated through training, examination, experience, licensure, continuing education, and patient care—not by whether a private organization receives another fee. A late fee is not a quality metric. An open-book module is not patient care. And losing access to a verification database because of nonpayment or competitive choice does not make a physician less capable the next morning. The Florida medical boards examined the facts and approved NBPAS’ waiver. That is not an example of disregarding the law. It is an example of using the law, exactly as written, for its intended purpose. NBPAS is proud to stand with Florida’s physicians, and with Florida, in defending physician freedom, fair competition, and patient access to care. What's New at NBPAS A Fresh Look for NBPAS.org A refreshed NBPAS.org is coming soon! We're updating our website with a new homepage, improved navigation, and a cleaner look and feel designed to make it easier to find the information and resources you need. As NBPAS continues to grow, we want our website to grow with us. We hope you'll take a look around and explore what's new. Take a Look Around One Thing You Can Do This Month Tell Your Colleagues The recent Florida Boards of Medicine decisions mark important progress for physician choice and give us some good news worth talking about. Tell a colleague who may not know about the decision or NBPAS. Helping another physician become aware of their options can make a difference. Sometimes the most meaningful introduction to NBPAS comes from another physician. Explore NBPAS Physicians Supporting Physicians More than 15,000 physicians across the country have chosen NBPAS to maintain their board certification. Founded by physicians, NBPAS offers a physician-led approach focused on lifelong learning and clinically relevant continuing education, without repeated high-stakes testing and unnecessary administrative burden. Requirements include: Initial certification from an ABMS or AOA board An active, unrestricted medical license 50 hours of specialty-specific Category 1 CME within the past 24 months Joining NBPAS means becoming part of a growing community of physicians committed to both high standards and physician choice. The online application takes less than six minutes to complete. Apply to NBPAS Renew Your Certification Suggestions Have an idea, need help? Reach out to NBPAS at info@nbpas.org. Someone from the team will be happy to get back to you.