As of 2018, you are required to renew your Texas physician assistant license defense lawyer every two years. If you were a licensed physician assistant before 2018, your license number tells you when you must renew it. If your license number is an even number, you must renew your license in even years; if it is odd, you renew in odd years.
Bertolino LLP employs very skilled and experienced professional license defense attorneys. They will assist you with any problems that you might have with your license.
Can I Renew My Physician Assistant License without the Renewal Notice?
Yes, you can renew your license without the renewal notice. While the Texas Medical Board states that they will send you a reminder 60 days before your renewal is due, sometimes, for various reasons, this does not happen. However, you are still required to renew your license with or without this notice, as the notice is only a courtesy.
You can renew your physician assistant license online. You must pay the renewal fee prior to the due date, and there is no grace period. If you do not pay your renewal fee by the date required, you are technically violating Texas law by participating in the unlicensed practice of medicine.
What Should I Do if I Fail to Pay the Renewal Fees in Time?
If you miss the deadline for your renewal fees, there are consequences. Luckily, the official policy of the Texas Medical Board is that the only punishment for being delinquent in the payment of your fees is the payment of the fees plus a penalty. Once this penalty is paid, your license will once again be valid.
If you pay your renewal fees within 90 days after the deadline, you will be required to pay your license fees plus one-half of the license fees. If you pay the renewal fees 91 days to 1 year late, you will be required to pay your license fees plus the total amount of license fees, equal to two times the license fees. If you fail to pay the renewal fees within a year, your license will be considered canceled.
What Happens if I Do Not Complete My Continuing Medical Education in Time?
For every two years that you renew your license, you are required to complete 40 hours of continuing medical education (CME). At least 20 of these hours must be formal courses that are approved either by the Texas Medical Board or the American Academy of Physician Assistants. The other 20 hours can be obtained through informal study, attending hospital lectures, or volunteering in a medically underserved place.
In addition, the Texas Medical Board (TMB) can, at any time, demand written proof that you are in compliance with its CME requirements. If the TMB demands this proof from you, you must respond within 30 days, or you could be subject to disciplinary action.
Can I Avoid Completing Continuing Medical Education?
Generally, no. Completing CME is a legal requirement. If you do not meet this requirement, the TMB might not send you a renewal notice for your license. However, the Texas CME requirements can be waived if you meet the following criteria, which are set by Texas state law:
- You have a catastrophic illness;
- You serve in the military outside of the United States for more than 1 year;
- You have lived outside of the United States for more than 1 year; or
- You filed a written application showing good cause why you were unable to meet the CME requirement.
These exemptions must be approved by the Texas Medical Board, and they only last two years, but the Texas Medical Board can extend this time period for good reason.
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If I don’t Plan on Practicing Medicine for a While, Can I Stop Paying the License Fees?
No, but there is a process by which you can make your license inactive. Physician assistants with inactive licenses are excused from paying license fees. To inactivate your license, you must submit a written request to the Texas Medical Board. Your inactivity may last up to 5 years, or your license will be canceled.
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Do I Have to Self Report My Legal Problems to the Texas Medical Board?
Yes. You have a duty to self-report any criminal convictions, including deferred adjudication or no-contest pleas, within 30 days.
In addition, your Texas Medical Board application (or renewal application) will require you to truthfully answer questions such as:
- Have you ever been arrested?
- Have you ever been charged with any violation of the law, whether or not you were convicted, with the exception of traffic tickets?
- Are you currently being investigated by the police or a grand jury?
- Have you ever served time in prison or jail?
- Have you ever been convicted for sexual or violent assaultive offenses?
- Have you ever been convicted of tax, Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance fraud?
Make sure to answer the questions honestly. In many cases, the penalty for lying to the TMB will be much more severe than the penalty for the actual offenses. Do not lose your license based on your failure to self-report.
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