The Federation of State Medical Boards has finalized its interstate medical licensure compact, a document that would make it easier for physicians to get licenses in multiple states, easing a major barrier to the widespread practice of telemedicine.
The compact, now available for adoption by state medical boards and legislatures, would allow physicians who are board-certified in at least one specialty and who have no history of disciplinary or legal action being taken against them to receive expedited licenses from other states. To facilitate this process, the states' medical boards would share information on physicians' histories with an Interstate Commission, which would oversee the process.
Requiring physicians to be licensed in the state where the patient is located, coupled with lengthy licensing processes for each state, have long been a barrier to the practice of telemedicine. Easing this process would allow physicians to see more patients, and patients to have access to a larger number of physicians.
"Today's announcement is welcome news for physicians across the country seeking to provide and improve access to care for patients in multiple jurisdictions," said Kevin Bohnenblust, executive director of the Wyoming State Board of Medicine, the board that originally proposed the compact. "This expedited process will let us meet our responsibility to allow capable and qualified physicians to practice medicine in a safe and accountable manner while protecting patients and expanding and improving care. The interstate compact will be a useful tool for medical boards seeking that balance."
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