AMA: How States Can Boost Telehealth With More Flexible Licensure

American Medical Association (AMA): How States Can Boost Telehealth With More Flexible Licensure

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, temporary waivers of telehealth coverage and payment regulations boomed at the state and federal levels to meet the increased demand for virtual medical care. To keep pace, state and federal licensure requirements also were waived, enabling physicians to work across state lines and provide care in areas hardest hit by the pandemic without having to apply for licenses in those states. Today, however, nearly all states have lifted those temporary licensure flexibilities. But numerous states are exploring policies to ensure they retain the authority to regulate and oversee the practice of medicine for their residents while also accounting for modern-day realities of patient movement, physician shortages and the regionalization of health care delivery. An AMA issue brief outlines the spectrum of approaches states are adopting for telehealth licensure and provides model language for states to consider when seeking to implement licensure flexibilities.