What does this mean for the future of medicine?

On December 14, 2015, Wisconsin became the 12th state to sign the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, making it easier for qualified physicians to obtain licensure in multiple states and facilitate new models of health care delivery, such as telemedicine.

According to the compact’s website, www.licenseportability.org, about “80% of the physician population licensed in the United States would be eligible for expedited licensure.”

To be eligible for expedited licensure, physicians 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 disciplinary actions on any state medical license
• Have no disciplinary actions 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.

Other states that have enacted the law include Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. As we head into the New Year, legislation anticipates the Interstate Medical licensure Compact to continue expanding as more states introduce the bill.