Title Protection for ABRET-Credentialed Technologists

Title Protection for ABRET-Credentialed Technologists

ABRET has a vested interest in supporting and protecting credentialed technologists. When a threat to CNIMs practicing in Illinois occurred last year, ABRET invested money in a lobbyist to have an amendment made to a bill in order to protect CNIMs. Through this process it became evident that the powerful healthcare lobbying groups were not familiar with neurodiagnostics, nor did they have a concern that another profession was encroaching on our area of practice. This made our fight for CNIMs more difficult.

Is licensure the answer?

Perhaps licensure will give us the protection we need. However, the process is exceedingly expensive with no guarantees. It must be obtained in each state, and the details are crucial. There must be a strong core of supporters who are willing to work on this effort, perhaps for years. Some states may be ripe for a licensure bill, other states are fighting to deregulate healthcare professions who obtained licensure in the past. You must know what the legislative environment is in your state. You must know how lobbying works in your state. You must have significant resources to spend on your lobbying and licensure efforts. In our experience, a good lobbyist is a necessity. They understand the process, the players and the inside politics.

What is title protection?

In Illinois, a title protection bill is less expensive, less cumbersome, less risky than licensure. That said, it does not provide the protections that licensure affords to a profession. It can be, however, a step toward licensure; but most importantly it will give the profession a voice. Neurodiagnostics does not have a voice in most state legislative arenas. Having a title protection statute gives standing to the profession. It provides recognition of our credentials and will make it easier for us to address impingements on our Scope of Practice. In order to list all ABRET credentials in this bill, the umbrella term of Neurodiagnositcs was used. ABRET-credentialed Technologists who want to have this recognition and protection may join the state registry and identify themselves as Registered Neurodiagnostic Technologists, if desired.

Setting the record straight

The Title Protection Bill in Illinois will only apply to ABRET-credentialed technologists working in Illinois. It does not negatively affect any other credentials. This type of statutory recognition does not prohibit someone from practicing or identifying themselves with the neurodiagnostic profession.

ABRET is not trying to cut anyone out of this bill. It is an ABRET bill. ABRET is located in Illinois, and a need for some action was detected. We only represent our own ABRET-credentialed technologists. This bill talks about specifics of eligibility and education. Other credentialing boards have their own exam eligibility requirements and policies. We do not speak for anyone else.

If someone fraudulently uses or claims an ABRET credential, the state would be the entity to enforce compliance. This will aid ABRET in protecting the credentials on behalf of those who legitimately earn them, which is a common problem.

The process does not require “grandfathering” avoiding the need for a lower level certification.

This protection will discourage the development of competing credentials, as has occurred in related fields. More than one organization offering a similar credential could confuse employers and cause a divide within the profession and membership organization, as happened in our past. Furthermore, it would complicate licensure attempts in all states.

ABRET is committed to supporting the value and the recognition of your credentials. Upon passage of this bill in Illinois, ABRET will assist other interested states where Title Protection Statutes are an option.