Medical Specialty Board Wins Antitrust Appeal Over Credentialing

The American Board of Medical Specialties secured its win Friday against antitrust litigation over its credentialing and renewal programs for physicians, when a federal appeals court in Chicago became the latest to uphold a medical board’s “maintenance of certification” requirements.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed a ruling dismissing the case, part of a wave of challenges brought by doctors and the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, an organization that has portrayed the recredentialing process as a waste of time and a money grab.

Judge Michael Y. Scudder, writing for the appeals court, said the ...