Part 4: Treating Patients In Multiple States
Telemedicine has opened up considerable opportunities to treat patients throughout the country regardless where the physician is located. While the technology offered by the best telemedicine companies and provider willingness are there, state licensing creates a barrier in some situations.
It’s definitely possible to practice over state lines, but there are a few things to consider. Some states offer reciprocal licenses and others require full licensure. If you’re traveling between two or more areas and you want to treat regularly in all of them, you may need multiple medical licenses to do so.
A handful of states also offer telemedicine only licenses, which allow providers from anywhere in the country to treat patients within that state as long as they have both a telemedicine license and a valid license from where they currently reside. Additionally 12 states participate in an Interstate Licensing Compact that streamlines the process considerably. Currently,
- Alabama
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nevada
- South Dakota
- Utah
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
have entered the Interstate Licensing Compact, which allows for practice of telemedicine over state lines when certain criteria are met. Additionally, providers in Maryland can be licensed to treat via telemedicine in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia in some cases. The best place to start is by calling or going to the web site of the licensing board in the state where the patients who you want to treat are located. An administrator for the board can give you the precise information based on their rules and legislation.