The Washington Medical Commission (Commission) regulates the competency and quality of professional health care providers under its jurisdiction by establishing, monitoring, and enforcing qualifications for licensure, consistent standards of practice, continuing competency mechanisms, and discipline. The Commission issues licenses for physicians (MDs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) and offers limited licenses for international medical graduates. The Commission currently regulates about 34,000 licenses.
The National Practitioner Data Bank collects information on adverse actions against health care practitioners by licensing agencies, health care facilities, professional societies, and medical malpractice payers.
The Commission is authorized to conduct rulemaking for all licenses issued by the Commission to allow for the voluntary relinquishment of the license. This includes licenses for MDs, PAs, and CAAs, as well as licenses issued under the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. Under these relinquishment rules, a license cannot be relinquished in lieu of discipline or if a licensee is subject to discipline or under investigation by the Commission. The relinquishment is not an adverse action and as such is not reportable to any disciplinary database, the National Practitioner Data Bank, or other websites. Licensees who request this relinquishment process agree to the permanent relinquishment of the associated property right and shall have no right to reinstatement or renewal.
(In support) There is no nondisciplinary path to relinquish a medical license. The only pathway for a physician to voluntarily relinquish their license and its associated property right is through a quasidisciplinary agreement, even when circumstances are entirely unrelated to misconduct. This process creates due process challenges and fairness challenges by triggering mandatory reporting to national data banks which identify disciplinary action on the provider despite the absence of wrongdoing. This bill creates a formal, nondisciplinary pathway for health care professionals to voluntarily relinquish their license. This allows physicians facing circumstances unrelated to misconduct to exit the profession with dignity and without stigma. A medical license is considered a property right in Washington, which means it does not disappear after it expires. Even after expiration, the Commission remains responsible for the licensee and an individual can reactivate the license at any time with minimal input from the Commission. To preserve patient safety, practitioners who are under investigation, discipline, or compliance oversight are not eligible to use this pathway, ensuring it is not used in place of appropriate enforcement.
(Opposed) None.
Senator Ron Muzzall, prime sponsor; Chris Bundy, Washington Physicians Health Program; and Fatima Mirza, Program Case Manager, Washington Medical Commission.