Senate Approves Advances Sweeney’s Health Care Transparency Bill

Trenton – In an effort to better inform patients seeking and receiving medical care, the Senate today approved the Health Care Transparency Act. The bill, sponsored by Senate President Steve Sweeney, would create new identification requirements for health care professionals as well as new regulations for print, radio and television advertisements.

“Just as people deserve to know the food they buy or the cars they drive are safe and regulated, they deserve to know the medical treatments they are receiving are being performed by a qualified professional,” said Senator Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland). “This is a ‘truth in advertising’ bill for medical care and advice.”

Under the bill, S-2465, any advertisement of health care professionals would require the disclosure of the type of professional license and professional degree issued to the professional.

The bill would also require health care professionals, when providing in-person care, to wear a name tag or embroidered identification during all patient encounters that includes, at a minimum, the following information: the name of the health professional, the professional license and professional degree issued to the health care professional, as well as a recent photograph of the health care professional if providing direct patient care at a hospital, unless otherwise directed by hospital administrators.

It would also outlaw medical doctors or doctors of osteopathic medicine from advertising or holding oneself out to the public in any manner as being certified by a public or private board, or as “board certified”, unless certain requirements are met.

A “health care professional,” as defined in the bill, would include any person licensed, certified, registered or otherwise authorized pursuant to Title 45 or Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, or by any department or entity within a department of the Executive Branch or any other entity created in the future to license or regulate a health care profession.

The Senate vote was 39-0.