Illinois Hosts Inaugural Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

CHICAGO — The State of Illinois and Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFPR) will host the first meeting of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission on October 27th and 28th at the Michael A. Bilandic Building in Chicago.  The Compact aims to improve health care access for the expected millions of new patients entering the nation’s health care system by lowering the barriers to multistate and interstate practice of medicine by physicians.    Illinois is among eleven states that have enacted the medical licensure compact, while seven additional states have introduced legislation.   The meetings are open to the public. 

“As physician shortages persist in Illinois, and throughout the nation, it is important that we utilize new methods to foster the sharing of our most vital resources,” said Bryan Schneider, DFPR Secretary.  “The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact creates a new avenue to advance the licensing of physicians who seek to practice medicine in multiple states.  The compact also bolsters our ability to protect the public through the sharing of investigative and discipline information, something that is currently not allowed.” 

Among the issues driving the need for a Compact is the growing necessity to increase access to health care for individuals in underserved or rural areas through the use of telemedicine. Telemedicine’s time-consuming, state-by-state licensure process for multiple-license holders is often cited as a key barrier to its long-term growth.  The Compact would expedite the multi-state licensure process for physicians, helping extend the impact and availability of medical care at a time when demand is expected to grow significantly. Initial surveys estimate that nearly 80% of the physician population licensed in the United States would be eligible for expedited licensure.

“We salute the leadership of DFPR and other state medical boards, which are advancing the Compact with this milestone meeting,” said Lisa Robin, Chief Advocacy Officer of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). “We fully support the Compact and believe it represents a timely response to the need for expedited physician licensing in the United States.”

Ms. Robin noted that other health care organizations, including the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), are strongly supportive of the Compact. A grant from HRSA is helping to support this meeting."        

For more information on the Interstate Compact, please call (202) 463-4000 or visit www.licenseportability.org.