Health Equity
News, Statements, and Testimony on Health Equity Issues
25th Council session information coming soon.
When Your Next Physician License Will Expire
MSDC has an important update to its June 18, 2024 article. We are pleased to share that DC Health’s change in license term does not change the expiration date for physician licenses currently expiring on December 31, 2024. Instead, it applies to the upcoming renewal period.
Here is what you need to know:
- If your physician license is currently set to expire on December 31, 2024, that does not change for 2024. The expiration date for licenses issued/renewed before June 16, 2024 is not changing retroactively.
- Starting with the upcoming renewal period, which will open in October 2024, physician licenses will no longer expire at the same time. Instead, licenses will transition to a rolling expiration format based on licensee birth month and birth year.
DC Health will be sending important updates on license renewal in the coming months. Make sure that your email and contact information are current in DC Health’s portal so that you can be sure to receive relevant communications.
In the interim, below is guidance from DC Health:
“All applicable licenses, certificates, or registrations issued on or after June 16, 2024, will expire on the last day of the birth month of the license holder. Additionally, applicants born in even-numbered years will receive even-numbered expiration years while applicants born in odd-numbered years will receive odd-numbered expiration years.
This applies to future expiration dates and does not retroactively impact current license expiration.
After the renewal period starts: Someone born in August in an even numbered year will have an expiration date of August 31, 2026. Someone born in August in an odd numbered year will have an expiration date of August 31, 2027.”
Date of Birth Date of Renewal License Expiration Date
August 10, 1972 October 5, 2024 August 31, 2026
August 10, 1975 October 6, 2024 August 31, 2027
In addition to DC Health’s guidance above, below is a primer to calculate future expiration date and year:
“All applicable licenses, certificates, or registrations issued on or after June 16, 2024, will expire on the last day of the birth month of the license holder”
| Licensee birthdate | License expiration day and month | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. Birthdate of April 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, or 22 | Last day of the birth month (e.g. April 30 for all April birthdays) | All licensees born in the same month will expire on the last day of the month. However, the year will vary as described below. |
| e.g. Birthdate of October 3, 7, 10, 18, 25 | Last day of the birth month (e.g. October 31 for all October birthdays) | |
| “Applicants born in even-numbered years will receive even-numbered expiration years while applicants born in odd-numbered years will receive odd-numbered expiration years.” | ||
| Licensee birth year | License expiration year | Comment |
| Even birth year (e.g. 1962, 1974, 1986) | Even expiration year (2026; thereafter, 2028, etc.) | For this cycle only, the license term will be less than 2 years. |
| Odd birth year (e.g. 1961, 1973, 1985) | Odd expiration year (2027; thereafter, 2029, 2031, etc.) | For this cycle only, the license term will be more than 2 years, but less than 3 years. |
MSDC is a resource for physicians licensed in the District of Columbia. Below are CE requirements for physician (MD/DO) licensure in the District of Columbia:
- Fifty (50) hours of CE every two (2) years, which includes
- two (2) hours in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency
- five (5) hours in a topic designated as a public health priority (see below), and
- at least one (1) course in the subject of pharmacology.
Public Health Priorities - The most recent list of topics identified by the Director of the Department of Health appear in a list HERE.
MSDC offers courses through a partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine HERE. Some of these programs may comply with the public health priority requirement.
Sample of Health Equity Legislation MSDC Tracked
What does it say? The bill allows for the administration of medicinal marijuana in schools as well as allows students to bring sunscreen to schools and apply it without a prescription.
MSDC position: MSDC supports the language permitting sunscreen application in schools
Current status: A win for DC physicians and public health! The legislation passed the Council in February and was signed by the Mayor. Previous temporary and emergency legislation permitted students to use sunscreen at schools this school year already.
What does it say? The bill requires DC Health to establish an electronic Medical Order for Scope of Treatment registry (eMOST).
MSDC position: MSDC supports this legislation to more easily allow patients to make their treatment orders known.
Current status: A win for the physician community and our patients! The Council passed the bill in December and the Mayor signed it into law on January 16, 2020.
What does it say? The bill would implement a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on the distribution of "sugary" beverages. The money collected from the tax would establish a Healthy People, Healthy Places Open Spaces Grant Program.
MSDC position: MSDC sent a letter to Council Chair Mendelson asking for a hearing to discuss all of the issues around a beverage tax.
Current status: The bill was introduced October 8, 2019 and referred to the Committee on Business and Economic Development and the Committee of the Whole.