Growing Number of States in Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Will Improve Healthcare Access, Make Nation Better Equipped to Handle Public Health Challenges

WASHINGTON – With Ohio and Delaware having joined the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact in recent weeks, the nation is increasingly enabling the mobility of healthcare professionals and addressing one of the major obstacles to handling public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, said the head of the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), who is encouraging other states to follow suit.

With the enactment of legislation in Ohio and Delaware, there are now 35 states in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which will enable licensed physicians to practice in all participating states.  Other states, including Texas, have seen legislation introduced to join the Compact.

“It is extremely important to have all 50 states engaged in this agreement and, ultimately, to have similar licensure agreements in place for all healthcare professionals,” said HLC president Mary R. Grealy. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, states had to wait for regulatory waivers in order to bring in physicians from other locales to address overwhelming caseloads.  We need a system in place that will allow the mobility of healthcare professionals to respond to patient needs where they exist.  This will not only improve disaster preparedness, but also remove obstacles to interstate telehealth services and strengthen healthcare access throughout the country.”

For Immediate Release
July 23, 2021
Contact: Kelly Fernandez  202-449-3452