Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) allows states to to form agreements between individual state Medical and Osteopathic boards in order to speed up a physician’s licensure process across multiple states. Accelerating the time it takes for licensed physicians to obtain licensure in additional states eases the physician shortage in rural and underserved areas. In regards to telemedicine, the Compact increases access to quick and efficient healthcare through telemedicine technologies.
Jump to:
- How it Works
- More About the Compact
- Benefits
- The Compact’s Current Status
- InSight + Regroup is a Proud Supporter
- Call To Action
How it Works
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact offers a streamlined process for qualified physicians who wish to obtain medical licensure in multiple states.
Read through the Compact or feel free to watch the Federation of State Medical Boards’ comprehensive video before learning more about the compact.
Compact Details
- The Compact shortens the time it takes for qualified a physician to apply for licensure
- Existing state medical licensure boards remain the same
- States continue to receive licensing fees associated with physicians applying for and maintaining licensure
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
More About the Compact
Before the Compact, applying for medical licensure in multiple states was a repetitive and lengthy process. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) states that processing an application for one state medical license could take anywhere from three to 12 months. The purpose of enacting the Compact is to counter this lengthy process and bring health care to individuals in need quickly and efficiently.
The enactment of the Compact will not eliminate medical licensure boards nor will it limit their influence.
State medical boards that have enacted the Compact still continue to:
- Manage the licensure procedure
- Investigate complaints
- Discipline physicians who violate the Medical Practice Act
- Refer physicians for evaluation and rehabilitation when appropriate
State legislatures also still collect licensing fees associated with physicians applying for and maintaining licensure in their respective states.
Other professional Compacts of the like continue to form, such as the Nurses Licensure Compact (NLC), which launched in 2000. Other healthcare professions are also following suit and exploring their own licensure compact structures.
To learn more about the Compact, visit www.imlcc.org.
Benefits
Expediting the licensure process and increasing physician license portability across state lines eases the physician shortage in rural and underserved areas. The Compact also increases access to health care for individuals who have struggled to access it previously.
The Compact allows for increased use of tools and resources offered by telemedicine to increase the reach of physicians nationwide and allow consumers to easily connect with medical experts regardless of physical location.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact opens up new possibilities for state licensing boards to share information and collaborate with one another to form uniform standards, streamline complicated processes and reduce redundancy in a physician’s application process.
InSight + Regroup is a Proud Supporter
As the leading national telepsychiatry service organization, InSight + Regroup is proud to support the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. We commend the Compact Committee for advocating this carefully crafted initiative and thank them for their hard work in pushing this advancement in medicine.
InSight + Regroup has supported the Compact since it was first introduced by the FSMB and we will continue to support its advancement to all states.
Read our endorsement of the Federation of State Medical Boards’ Interstate Medical Licensure Compact here.
Call To Action
Help us expand access to health care for individuals in need – support the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact!
To find out if your state is already a member of the Compact and to find information on your state legislature – State Senator, House Representative and bill number for the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact – visit www.imlcc.org and select your state.