Health IT Now Coalition Commends the Federation of State Medical Boards

Praises its efforts to streamline cross-state medical licensure

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Health IT Now Coalition today commended the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) for its progress in developing a new medical licensure system that would allow physicians to practice across state lines. The proposed "interstate compact," would serve as a formal agreement between states to speed up the licensure process for qualified practitioners.     

"With the establishment of their eight consensus principles for a new licensure system, the FSMB is taking a significant step towards more accessible, affordable, and coordinated healthcare for the Americans that need it the most," said James Turner, Senior Policy Counsel for the Health IT Now Coalition. "There is no reason why a licensed, credentialed physician should not be allowed to treat patients because of arbitrary state boundaries."      

The federal government already has successful programs in place that expand telemedicine options for members of the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. The FSMB's interstate compact model compliments these efforts, as well as legislative ones – particularly the recent introduction of the TELEmedicine for MEDicare (TELE-MED) Act, which allows Medicare providers to treat Medicare patients electronically across state lines without the need to obtain multiple state licenses.

"Care providers and patients are mobile and use technology in all other areas of their lives," said Turner. "The Health IT Now Coalition supports efforts leading to a nationwide technology enabled health system."

Health IT Now is a broad based coalition of patient groups, provider organizations, employers and payers that supports incentives to deploy heath information technology to improve quality, outcomes, and patient safety and to lower costs.

SOURCE Health IT Now Coalition