Health care practitioners: disclosure of education.

Existing law requires a health care practitioner to disclose, while working, his or her name and practitioner's license status on a name tag in at least 18-point type or to prominently display his or her license in his or her office, except as specified. This bill would require each of those health care practitioners to disclose the type of license and, except as specified, the highest level of academic degree he or she holds either in a prominent display in his or her office or in writing, in a specified format given to a patient on his or her initial office visit. The bill would require a physician and surgeon, and an osteopathic physician and surgeon, who is certified in a medical specialty, as specified, to also disclose, in either of those manners the name of the certifying board or association. The bill would exempt specified health care practitioners, including, without limitation, persons working in certain licensed laboratories and health care facilities, as specified, from these requirements.