Officials launched the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission, which makes it easier for physicians to obtain licenses in multiple states, Medscape reports.
Here are four things to know:
1. The compact allows physicians with one state license to obtain a license in another state without needing to file out a formal application or send records to the second state. As per the compact legislation, physicians must meet the compact's eligibility requirements and their principal state of license "must attest to their qualifications," Medscape reports.
2. The Federation of State Medical Boards was the driving force behind the compact. In a news release, the association's CEO and President Humayan Chaudhry, DO, stated the compact will allow physicians to meet patient needs in rural or underserved areas.
3. So far, 18 states are participating in the compact including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
4. Officials have introduced the compact legislation in Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Washington, D.C.