ABMS

The American Board of Medical Specialties — the umbrella organization overseeing 24 medical specialty boards that certify physicians in the United States.

ABMS is the organization that oversees all the specialty boards that certify physicians in the United States. When someone says they are "board certified," they typically mean they hold certification from one of the 24 ABMS member boards. The member boards cover every major medical specialty: Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radiology, Anesthesiology, Pathology, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and 14 others. Each board sets its own examination requirements, certification criteria, and Maintenance of Certification standards. During credentialing, payers verify board certification through ABMS. They use the ABMS Physician Verification Portal, which provides real-time confirmation of a physician's certification status, specialty, subspecialty certifications, and certification dates. This is considered primary source verification for board certification. ABMS certification has become increasingly important for credentialing. While not every payer requires board certification, most prefer it and some mandate it. Medicare does not require board certification for enrollment, but many commercial payers do, at least within a specific timeframe after residency completion. ABMS also oversees the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, which requires certified physicians to demonstrate ongoing competence through continuing education, practice improvement activities, and periodic re-examination. If you let your MOC lapse, your certification may become inactive, which can trigger credentialing issues. For non-MD/DO providers, equivalent certifying bodies exist. NPs are certified by AANP or ANCC. PAs are certified by NCCPA. These certifications serve the same purpose in credentialing as ABMS certification does for physicians.