HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3060        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2241

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Gerard J. Cassidy

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to health care transparency.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3060        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2241

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to health care transparency.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 1.  Chapter 112 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 8A and inserting in place thereof the following section:

Section 8A. No person may, directly or indirectly, use the title ''physician'' or display or use the term physician in any title, advertisement, listing of affiliations, communication with the public or in any other manner to indicate or imply in any way that such person offers to engage or engages in the practice of medicine or in the provision of health care services to patients within the commonwealth who is not registered by the board of registration in medicine as a physician under section 2, nor use or imply the use of the words or terms “surgeon,” “medical doctor,” “doctor of osteopathy,” “M.D.”, “anesthesiologist,” “cardiologist,” “dermatologist,” “endocrinologist,” “gastroenterologist,” “general practitioner,” “gynecologist,” “hematologist,” “internist,” “laryngologist,” “nephrologist,” “neurologist,” “obstetrician,” “oncologist,” “ophthalmologist,” “orthopedic surgeon,” “orthopedist,” “osteopath,” “otologist,” “otolaryngologist,” “otolaryngologist,” “pathologist,” “pediatrician,” “primary care physician,” “proctologist,” “psychiatrist,” “radiologist,” “rheumatologist,” “rhinologist,” “urologist,” or any similar title or description of services with the intent to represent that the person practices medicine. This section shall not apply to use of the term ''chiropractic physician'' by individuals licensed and practicing under sections 89 to 97, inclusive, or the use of the term ''podiatric physician'' by individuals licensed and practicing under sections 13 to 22, inclusive, or the use of the term ''physician assistant'' by individuals licensed and practicing under sections 9C to 9K, inclusive. A person who violates this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not less than 30 days and not more than 1 year in the house of corrections, or by both such fine and imprisonment.