Leading federal and state policymakers and stakeholders held an event at the National Press Club on June 25, 2015 to listen to panelists highlight the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact’s www.licenseportability.org beneficial impact on the delivery and access for patients in terms of high quality medical care.
The Compact offers a new pathway for expedited medical licensure and is expected to significantly reduce barriers to the process of gaining licensure in multiple states and will help facilitate licensure portability and telemedicine that will expand access to healthcare particularly in underserved areas of the country.
Senator John Barrasso MD from Wyoming www.barrasso.senate.gov reported “The Compact will benefit rural America especially in Wyoming since patients who live in small remote areas, need access to physicians who do not live here.”
Additional panelists at the NPC event included representatives of state medical and osteopathic boards, AMA www.ama.assn.org, Council of Medical Specialty Societies www.cmss.org, Gundersen Health System www.gundersenhealth.org, and the National Patient Safety Foundation www.npsf.org.
The Compact drafting process was completed in September 2014 and since then the legislation has been enacted by nine states including Alabama, Idaho. Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. In addition legislation has been introduced in ten other state legislatures this year.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission is now going to be established to manage and administer the Compact. Members of the Commission will include two voting representatives appointed by each member state.
Commissioners will be selected from allopathic or osteopathic physicians, executive directors, executive secretaries, or similar executives of a member board, or from members of the public appointed to a member board.
Under the legislation, the commission will facilitate multi-state physician licensure for highly qualified physician applicants who meet eligibility criteria. Member states will also be allowed to collaborate on disciplinary matters.