March 23, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Cabral-Guevara, Roys and Wanggaard, cosponsored by Representatives Magnafici, Dittrich, Murphy and Rozar. Referred to Committee on Health.
SB143,,22An Act to create 448.03 (3m) of the statutes; relating to: the use of certain words and terms that refer to a physician. SB143,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill restricts the words and terms that may be used to designate certain medical professionals in titles, advertising, and descriptions of services. Under current law, no person may use or assume the title “doctor of medicine” or append to the person’s name the letters “M.D.” unless the person possesses the degree of doctor of medicine or the person is licensed as a physician by the Medical Examining Board. Similarly, only individuals who possess the degree of doctor of osteopathy may use or assume the title “doctor of osteopathy” or append “D.O.” to their name.
This bill restricts persons, except licensed physicians, from using certain words, terms, letters, or abbreviations that represent a person as a physician. Those restrictions under the bill apply to a person’s title, advertising, or description of services, and the bill provides an extensive but not exclusive list of the words and terms covered by the bill.
SB143,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SB143,15Section 1. 448.03 (3m) of the statutes is created to read: SB143,,66448.03 (3m) Use of terms representing physicians. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person, except a licensed physician, may use or assume the following words, letters, or terms in the person’s title, advertising, or description of services: “physician,” “surgeon,” “osteopathic physician,” “osteopathic surgeon,” “medical doctor,” “anesthesiologist,” “cardiologist,” “dermatologist,” “endocrinologist,” “gastroenterologist,” “gynecologist,” “hematologist,” “laryngologist,” “nephrologist,” “neurologist,” “obstetrician,” “oncologist,” “ophthalmologist,” “orthopedic surgeon,” “orthopedist,” “osteopath,” “otologist,” “otolaryngologist,” “otorhinolaryngologist,” “pathologist,” “pediatrician,” “primary care physician,” “proctologist,” “psychiatrist,” “radiologist,” “rheumatologist,” “rhinologist,” “urologist,” or any other words, letters, or abbreviations, alone or in combination with other titles or words, that represent that the person is a physician.
