10 Medical Licensing Mistakes That Delay Physician Approvals

The importance of a medical license cannot be overstated. Every health care practitioner must have a valid license to practice and provide patient care. However, most physicians make common errors in their medical licensure that can negatively impact their career, because of delayed physician licensure and medical licensure approvals by state medical boards.  

Doctor licensing services and other medical licensing are available to help speed up the approval process for a doctor’s application through the State Medical Board and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). 

In this blog, we will cover the top medical licensing mistakes that delay physician approvals, why medical license applications get rejected, how physicians can avoid them, and how professional medical licensing services can help physicians get faster approvals.  

Understanding the Medical Licensing Process 

The physician licensure process is an extremely thorough review by the State Medical Boards to confirm a the qualifications of a doctor in which the latter will submit the information such as their medical school transcript, proof of completion of residency, scores from the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), a registration number issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number and results of their background check to ensure compliance with regulations that apply to the health care industry.  

Additionally, physicians will be required to complete multiple state-specific forms, pay numerous fees, and adhere to strict timelines to complete the application process. Each state requires that all healthcare providers undergo primary-source verification (PSV) of all academic credentials submitted by the applicant’s schools and employer.  

As a result of this requirement, the PSV process is one that hospital credentialing committees and payers of insurance use to determine whether to allow a doctor to participate in their network of providers. Therefore, it is essential to have accurate information to successfully establish a physician’s practice. 

Why Medical Licensing Delays Are Common 

Physician licensing delays can occur due to several reasons. Doctor licensing delays can arise due to errors in a physician’s application for licensure, such as incomplete or incorrect information, State Medical Board staffing shortages, and strict compliance with various healthcare standards. The most common reasons why physician medical license applications get rejected include the lack of required documentation to support the applicant’s credentials, unverified credentials, and failure to comply with FSMB guidelines.  

When physician providers fail to take into consideration the differences in each state, their potential application rejections can be compounded by further slowing down the physician’s onboarding process and ultimately, practice setup. In turn, this slows the insurance payer’s and even the hospital credentialing committee’s ability to credential the physician, which can lead to delayed revenue cycle management and potentially delay patient care. 

Top Medical Licensing Mistakes Physicians Make 

Here are some of the most common medical licensing mistakes and physician licensing delays that healthcare providers may experience while obtaining their initial licenses to practice medicine.  

Incomplete Application Documentation 

Lack of proper documentation is the leading cause of medical licensure applications being rejected by State Medical Boards, and typically includes a physician’s signature, fees, or attachments such as CV, malpractice insurance, etc. Physician licensing boards reject 40 to 60 percent of submitted applications due to these types of missing requirements, which will result in delays in obtaining the medical license. 

Incorrect Work History 

A very common mistake that can cause physician licensing delays is incorrect work history. An applicant may have an error in dates of employment, an unexplained gap in time, or omit a role in their job history. The state boards will investigate these gaps to determine whether there are any issues with the applicants, which in turn result in medical license approval delays and a healthcare compliance flag. A vague work history explanation may fail to meet the standards of the FSMB and complicate the process of setting up a physician’s practice. 

Missing Primary Source Verification 

A lack of primary-source verification can cause problems with your application because self-reported information has no official authority from either the applicant’s school or hospital. The state medical boards require PSV for both education and training; therefore, if you provide only a photocopy, they will extend the medical licensure approval delay. The issue of missing PSV also extends the time it takes for insurance payers to process claims. 

Delays in Background Checks 

A delay in a background check occurs if an applicant fails to mention any prior disciplinary actions, malpractice claims, or multiple state licensures. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) cross-checks multiple databases and flags discrepancies, which can result in delays in physician licensure. Full disclosure is required for healthcare compliance and to avoid physician licensing delays.  

Errors in Medical Education Details 

Incorrect information about educational details for physicians, such as incorrect residency dates or transcripts that do not match other documentation, will cause a rejection for medical licensure, as the state medical board will verify this information through primary-source verification, and any discrepancies may halt the application process. Errors in medical education details for physician licensure may also cause issues regarding the linkage of NPI numbers. 

Not Following State Medical Board Requirements 

A physician is ignoring the unique forms, fees, or exams by state when they are not meeting state medical board requirements; this is one of the most common causes of medical licensure errors. The requirements for each state medical board vary, leaving many physicians unaware that their documentation does not comply with the medical board in their new state.  

Late Submission of Supporting Documents 

Physician licensure reviews are delayed beyond the original flag due to late submissions of supporting documents by physicians because of untracked mail or slow reference letters which delay medical board approval. Physician licensure services help to manage these timeframes so that insurance credentialing does not suffer. 

Failure to Disclose Prior Denials or Restrictions 

When physicians fail to disclose prior license denials, restrictions, or investigations from other jurisdictions, it immediately raises concerns and creates physician licensing delays with state medical boards. 

Incorrect or Expired Exam Scores 

Updating outdated USMLE or specialty board exam scores that do not contain a valid expiration date will result in rejection. This is because certification of the applicant’s licensure from the state medical board requires that all board certifications must be current at the time of application. 

Neglecting State-Specific Fees and Forms 

Failing to submit forms specific to each jurisdiction or failing to include jurisdiction-specific fees will result in an automatic return to the applicant. These automatic returns will further complicate the applicant’s licensure process and delay the applicant’s ability to set up their practice. 

How Physicians Can Avoid Licensing Delays 

Physicians may reduce the time associated with getting licensed by beginning the process 6 to 12 months in advance of when they will be practicing medicine, as well as by utilizing the state medical boards’ checklists for ways to prevent healthcare provider licensing problems, such as medical license application errors, physician credentialing issues, physician licensing documentation errors, and medical license approval delays. Moreover, physicians should double-check their work histories and secure any necessary primary-source verifications prior to submitting them for completion.  

Healthcare providers can also use portals to monitor the status of their submissions and create customized applications tailored to the specific requirements of each state’s medical board to obtain approval more quickly. 

Here are some tips on how to avoid medical licensing delays: 

• Review state medical board checklists 6 to 12 months before you plan on relocating or starting your new practice. 

• Prepare a detailed timeline and spreadsheet to track all documents, fees, and deadlines related to submitting documentation to the medical boards. 

• Collect and verify all primary-source verifications of education, training, and employment at the beginning. 

• Fully disclose your entire work history, including any gaps in your employment history, as well as any other background information you have since day one. 

• Submit all required documents through online portals and ensure receipt of each document submitted by receiving a confirmation receipt. Also, be sure to follow up every week. 

• Confirm prior to submitting an application that your NPI number is active and that your DEA registration status is active and linked correctly. 

• Peer-review and audit your entire application package before submitting it. 

• Stay informed of any updates in the FSMB guidelines and state-specific updates by reading their official newsletter. 

The above-listed steps will help minimize common physician licensing and documentation errors while maintaining health care compliance throughout the provider enrollment process. 

How Medical Licensing Help Physicians 

Professional medical licensing and physician licensing services offer a comprehensive solution to address your physician licensing challenges, so that you can focus on delivering care rather than waiting for a medical license.  

Expert physician licensing teams carry out the primary-source verification, tracking all necessary documents with state medical boards, and managing multiple state needs to ensure a smooth physician onboarding process and reduce approval times taken from medical boards. 

Here are the benefits of partnering with expert physician licensing services: 

• Tracks documents in real-time to ensure timely submission to state medical boards to avoid last-minute document issues 

• Handles primary-source verifications directly with schools, hospitals and employers 

• Managing multistate applications based on the specific requirements of each state  

• Compliance with all FSMB standards, insurance credentialing and hospital credentialing committee requirements  

• Preparing background check information and full disclosure documentation for applicants  

• Integrating physician credentialing with provider enrollment, DEA and NPI updates and insurance payer processes  

• Credex Healthcare has expert account managers who proactively identify and address physician credentialing issues 

• Medical licensing provides physician practice setup timelines for medical board approval are guaranteed to be faster than prior 

For healthcare facilities that are experiencing difficulties related to a healthcare provider’s license or experience medical license approval delays, the partnership with Credex Healthcare will allow for quick activation of their revenue cycle and a reduction in administrative workload. 

FAQs 

What causes physician licensing delays?   

Most physician licensing delays are caused by incomplete documentation, primary-source verification, work history gaps, state noncompliance, and background errors. 

Can licensing errors be corrected?   

Yes. The best way to fix the errors in your licensing application is to submit the corrections as quickly as possible through the State Medical Boards. Although this will add to the overall processing time, using medical licensing to provide proactive checklists may help you avoid delays. 

How can doctors speed up licensing?   

Using physician licensing services for both primary-source verification and tracking, starting early in the process, utilizing the guidelines from the Federation of State Medical Boards, and verifying your National Provider Identifier and Drug Enforcement Administration numbers prior to submitting an initial application. 

Conclusion  

The 10 medical licensing mistakes that can delay your license application and cause a lag in your medical board approval of your practice can be eliminated by working through Credex Healthcare’s medical licensure services.  

By using Credex Healthcare’s medical licensure services to help you apply for a medical license, and by being assured that your medical licensure is completely compliant with healthcare regulations, and by having Credex Healthcare assist you in enrolling as a new provider, you will be able to expedite all of the processes involved in becoming a licensed physician.  

Credex Healthcare provides physician licensure services to assist physicians with their medical licensure. Physicians should avoid making common medical licensure mistakes when applying for a medical license. Common medical licensure mistakes can have serious consequences such as delaying your licensure process, resolving physician credentialing issues, and getting you ready to begin seeing patients at your new practice sooner.