However, the FSMB has faced some criticism for the compact, so the organization released a fact sheet debunking six myths of the interstate medical licensure compact.
Here are the six “myths” the fact sheet refutes.
1. The definition of a physician, as determined by the compact, differs from the definition of a physician by all other state medical boards. Instead, the compact’s definition of a physician relates only to the eligibility to receive a license as outlined in the compact.
2. Physicians participating in the compact would have to participate in Maintenance of Certification, or the MOC is an eligibility requirement for the compact. The fact sheet indicates the compact does not make any reference to Maintence of Certification, and as no state requires MOC as a condition for licensure renewal, it will not be required for physicians participating in the compact.
3. The compact would override a state’s authority of the practice of medicine. “Coordination through a compact is not the same as commandeering state authority,” reads the fact sheet.
4. The compact would change a state’s Medical Practice Act. According to the fact sheet, the compact explicitly states, “The Compact creates another pathway for licensure and does not otherwise change a state’s existing Medical Practice Act.”
5. It would be expensive for a state to withdraw from the compact. State participation in the compact is voluntary, and states are free to withdraw from the compact. Additionally, withdrawal provisions are consistent with other interstate compacts throughout the country, according to the fact sheet.
6. The compact is a regulatory excess, increasing costs and burdens on the state. FSMB argues the opposite is true. By streamlining the processes for licensees, the compact would actually reduce regulatory burdens and cost by eliminating the need for physicians to receive licensure from multiple states.
To learn more about the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, click here.
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