Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Continues Expansion

Three more states—Nevada, Iowa, and Illinois—have enacted the compact since May, bringing the tally to eleven.

Eleven states have now passed legislation to enact the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which makes it easier for physicians to obtain licensure in multiple states.

"This has been a very rapidly accepted project," says Lisa Robin, chief advocacy officer at the Federation of State Medical Boards. "We exceeded…expectations by having 11 to date and possibly a couple others by the end of the calendar year."

In fact, the compact was completed and distributed in September 2014, and since late May, three more states—Nevada, Iowa, and Illinois—have also enacted the compact.

"It's very exciting," Robin says. "I've worked at the federation for 20 years, and there's been a lot of work towards license portability through the years."

But even as the compact is being readily adopted by many states, Robin says there are many still misconceptions about it.

Interstate Licensure Agreement Adds Two More States

"It does not create a national license," she says. "The compact is really just an administrative clearinghouse."

The compact simply provides an expedited process for obtaining multiple licenses. Robin compares the compact to the TSA pre-check at the airport; it speeds and streamlines the process, but doesn't remove safeguards. In airport terms, it's the equivalent of being able to move to the head of the line.

According to the compact's website, licenseportability.org, an estimated "80% of the physician population licensed in the United States would be eligible for expedited licensure." The physicians who wish to qualify for the compact must:

• Possess a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a Compact state
• Possess specialty certification or be in possession of a time unlimited specialty certificate
• Have no discipline on any state medical license
• Have no discipline related to controlled substances
• Not be under investigation by any licensing or law enforcement agency
• Have passed the USMLE or COMLEX within 3 attempts
• Have successfully completed a graduate medical education (GME) program

Physicians who are ineligible for the expedited licensure process facilitated by the Compact would still be able to seek additional licenses in those states where they desire to practice, using traditional licensure processes.

While the process of getting the licenses might be different, physicians will still be bound by individual state laws in which they're licensed. States differ on some big issues, such as the use of medical marijuana or physician-assisted suicide, Robin points out, and that won't change.

"That was one of the issues that was a misunderstanding," Robin says. "We are trying to educate and make sure that people understand what the compact is and what it is not."

A Boon for Telemedicine
Robin says an expedited interstate licensure process is helpful for the expansion of telemedicine, as well as for states with specific populations and needs.

"It benefits both very rural states and also those that may be more urban with these large centers," she says. "Some jurisdictions are going to be more an exporter of services and some states that are very rural are going to be more of an importer, so it works both ways."

Robin also says it would also help with any discipline issues that may arise; according to the website, the compact "would strengthen public protection because it would help states share investigative and disciplinary information that they cannot share now."

Robin says there are many ways that the compact will be beneficial, and it"s apparent in how quickly it's moving through the states.

"We believe this is a process that will achieve a mutual benefit for physicians, for those that recruit and employ physicians, and for patients," she says.