Submitted by David Kaye on

Effective August 7, 2024, House Bill 24-1153 establishes continuing medical education (CME) requirements for physicians, which include: 30 credit hours of CME in the 24 months preceding the renewal, reinstatement, or reactivation of the physician’s medical license in topics selected by the physician and certain topics specified in the bill.

Key Provisions:

  1. In order to verify compliance with the CME requirement, the physician shall affirm on the license renewal form submitted to the board that the physician has complied with the CME requirement.
  2. The Colorado Medical Board is authorized to audit up to 5% of physician renewals annually, chosen at random with an oversampling of non-board-certified physicians, and to require that the physician submit proof of the CME programs completed and the CME credit hours awarded.
  3. The bill is effective as of August 7, 2024, and audits will begin January 1, 2026.
  4. The Division of Professions and Occupations shall increase fees on physician licensure renewals to cover any additional costs associated with implementing the CME requirement.

Impact: 

It is important to note that CME performed as part of your Board MOC process may not cover the full amount of CME required under this bill. For example: The American Board of Pediatrics requires 50 hours of CME over a 5-year period. This breaks down to 10 hours of CME per year, which would not satisfy the 30 credits in 24 months requirement. 

Next Steps: 

Plan your CME activity according to the timelines listed above. Make sure to keep track of your CME activity by saving your CME certificates in a specific folder. You can access our online CE catalog at https://ce.childrenscolorado.org to review your options for CME internally. We have a full calendar of live offerings listed in our 2024 calendar as well as a number of on demand enduring education modules. You can also create an account at https://www.cmepassport.org to find and tract ACCME accredited CME hours.

For more detailed information, you can access the full text of the bill or contact comments.ga@coleg.gov