CHICAGO, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is disappointed in the Florida Board of Medicine’s decision to approve the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) as a “recognizing agency” under its “truth in advertising” rule, which was only possible by exempting NBPAS from a critical requirement in the existing rule. As a result of this decision, NBPAS’ members are now permitted to represent to the public that they are “specialists” even though NBPAS has not administered its own initial comprehensive examination to assess its members’ clinical knowledge and skills, which is a requirement that applies to all other recognizing agencies. By disregarding the law in this manner, the Florida Board of Medicine has failed to follow its longstanding precedent of only approving recognizing agencies with rigorous physician specialty certification programs—such as ABMS and the additional seven organizations identified in the rule—which in fact administer their own initial and ongoing examinations to assess the clinical knowledge and skills of their diplomates.

Truth in advertising rules for physicians are a cornerstone of patient protection in the field of medicine. They exist to protect the public by ensuring honest and accurate advertising, preventing confusion or deception, and ensuring the clear communication of credentials. Unfortunately, the Florida Board of Medicine’s decision jeopardizes these protections. By allowing NBPAS members to represent themselves as specialists without revealing that they have been deemed to be specialists by an organization without any assessment protocols, Florida’s health systems, hospitals, insurers, patients, and the public will receive incomplete and therefore misleading medical information, which erodes patient confidence and trust in their physicians and the healthcare system.

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SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties