Physicians seeking to practice telemedicine in other states may soon find the licensure process much easier to navigate with the release on September 5 of model legislation that individual states can use to enact their own laws.
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) said it has completed the drafting process for model legislation that would create an Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, a system of expedited physician licensure that would replace the current system of state-by-state licensure for the states that adopt it.
The federation believes the compact will reduce barriers to the process of gaining licensure in multiple states, making medical licenses more portable and supporting the growth of telemedicine while expanding access to healthcare.
Under the compact, eligible physicians could apply to a participating state for an expedited license, which would be a full and unrestricted medical license. Participation in the compact is optional both for states and physicians, and member states can maintain control through a coordinated legislative and administrative process, FSMB President and CEO Dr. Humayun Chaudhry said in a statement. The patient's location determines jurisdiction for oversight and patient protections.
The compact creates the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission to oversee and administer the compact. To apply for expedited licensure, physicians will need to designate a member state as their state of principal licensure and first submit an application to the member board of that state. The member board will then evaluate the physician's eligibility for expedited licensure and verify or deny eligibility in a letter to the interstate commission.
Next, eligible physicians would complete the registration process established by the interstate commission to receive a license in another member state, including the payment of any applicable fees. The member board will then issue an expedited license to the physician, which will authorize the physician to practice medicine in that issuing state.
The expedited license will be valid for a time frame consistent with the licensure period in the member state and in the same manner as required for other physicians holding a full and unrestricted license in the member state, according to the model legislation. In addition, an expedited license will be terminated if the physician fails to maintain a license in his or her state of principal licensure for a nondisciplinary reason without designating a new state of principal licensure. Renewals will be handled through the interstate commission.
The model legislation also delineates how disciplinary actions will be handled: If a physician's license in the state of principal licensure is revoked, surrendered or relinquished in lieu of discipline, or suspended, all licenses issued by other state member boards will be placed on the same status.
