Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Monday signed the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact — legislation that expedites the licensing process across multiple states and jurisdictions — into law, making Wisconsin the 12th state to implement the law.
The compact aims to expand access to healthcare through new modes of healthcare delivery, like telemedicine. "We are proud that Wisconsin has joined the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact to ensure that all its patients have access to quality healthcare, while maintaining the highest level of patient protections," Kenneth Simons, MD, chairperson of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, said in a statement. "By facilitating medical license portability, the Compact will benefit both physicians and patients in Wisconsin and across the nation."
The bill passed 95-1 in the Wisconsin Assembly and 31-1 in the Wisconsin Senate, with support from La Crosse, Wis.-based Gundersen Health System, Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Health System, Wisconsin Medical Society and the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
Other states that have enacted the law include Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
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