Reforming Physician Licensure in the United States to Improve Access to Telehealth: State, Regional, and Federal Initiatives.

digital health law physician licensure telehealth

Journal

The Milbank quarterly
ISSN: 1468-0009
Titre abrégé: Milbank Q
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8607003

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
19 Aug 2024
Historique:
revised: 15 07 2024
received: 12 03 2024
accepted: 02 08 2024
medline: 19 8 2024
pubmed: 19 8 2024
entrez: 19 8 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Policy Points The reinstitution of pre-COVID-19 pandemic licensure regulations has impeded interstate telehealth. This has disproportionately impacted patients who live near a state border; geographically mobile patients, such as college students; and patients with rare diseases who may need care from a specialist outside their state. Several promising and feasible reforms are available, at both state and federal levels, to facilitate interstate telehealth. For example, states can offer exemptions to licensure requirements for certain types of telehealth such as follow-up care or create licensure registries that impose little reduced paperwork and fees on physicians. On the federal level, congressional interventions that mimic the Department of Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (VA MISSION) Act of 2018 can waive provider licensing and geographic restrictions to telehealth within certain federal programs such as Medicare. Any discussion of medical licensure reform, however, must also consider the current political climate, one in which states are taking divergent stances on sensitive topics such as reproductive care, gender-affirming care, and substance use treatments.

Identifiants

pubmed: 39158210
doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12713
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Subventions

Organisme : Commonwealth Fund

Informations de copyright

© 2024 Milbank Memorial Fund.

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Auteurs

James René Jolin (JR)

Department of Government, Global Health and Health Policy, Harvard University.
The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at Harvard Law School.

Barak Richman (B)

George Washington School of Law.
Clinical Excellence Research Center, Stanford School of Medicine.

Ateev Mehrotra (A)

Brown School of Public Health.

Carmel Shachar (C)

The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Harvard Law School.

Classifications MeSH