Newswise — WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 21, 2016) – Kicking off the 2016 state legislative season, six new states have introduced legislation to enact the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, joining a growing number of states across the nation seeking to expand access to quality health care by significantly streamlining the medical licensure process.
During the first two weeks of 2016, legislative chambers in Alaska (HB237/HB238), Arizona (HB 2502), Colorado (HB 1047), Kansas (HB 2456), New Hampshire (HB 1665) and Washington (HB 2452/SB 6228) have introduced model Compact legislation, bringing the total number of state legislatures that have introduced the legislation since 2015 to 26. Additional introductions of the model Compact legislation are expected across the nation in early 2016.
Twelve states have enacted the Compact, including Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which offers a streamlined licensing process for physicians interested in practicing medicine in multiple states, is expected to expand access to health care, especially to those in rural and underserved areas of the country, and facilitate new modes of health care delivery such as telemedicine.
“I’m pleased to see that additional states are considering legislation to adopt the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact,” said Ian Marquand, Chair of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission. “The Compact represents an innovative approach to multi-state physician licensing, one that can bring benefits to states across the country. I look forward to having more states join us at the table.”
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission, which consists of representatives from each state that has enacted the Compact, is currently working to establish an administrative framework for the Compact.
Thirty-one state medical and osteopathic boards have publicly expressed support for the Compact, and it has been endorsed by a broad coalition of health care stakeholders, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
For more information about the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, please visit http://licenseportability.org.
About the Federation of State Medical BoardsThe Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a national non-profit organization representing all medical boards within the United States and its territories that license and discipline allopathic and osteopathic physicians and, in some jurisdictions, other health care professionals. The FSMB serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best practices. To learn more about FSMB, visit www.fsmb.org. You can also follow FSMB on Twitter (@theFSMB and @FSMBPolicy).
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