Some other well-known groups that have some form of professional courtesy are attorneys, performing artists, and law enforcement officers.
[4] In 1803, Thomas Percival wrote a classic essay on medical ethics that endorsed complimentary professional care to “All members of the profession, including apothecaries as well as physicians and surgeons, together with their wives and children, should be attended gratuitously.” In 1847, the American Medical Association's Code of Ethics similarly endorsed waiving charges for services to other physicians and their families,[5] This is likely the first modern-day documentation of the philosophy.
[5] However, in the United Kingdom for example, there is no law against doctors treating family members a bonus of this is that it avoids questions of objectivity and the danger of emotional attachment colouring assessment and treatment.
[8] However, physicians regularly providing free or reduced-rate services as professional courtesy must remain mindful in an age of copays, insurance-only billing, and referrals, as the practice can run afoul of the law under some circumstances[9] or redundant in countries which offer universal healthcare.
The plates keep identities and addresses anonymous, allowing employees the inadvertent ability to travel on tollways without charge.