We are grateful to President Biden for highlighting the pressing issue of cross-state licensure in advance of the State of the Union. The pandemic taught us that it is possible, and safe, to allow providers to treat patients anywhere. State borders should cease to be an artificial barrier to health care. It’s time to change the cumbersome, time-consuming, expensive, and duplicative licensing rules that prevent patients from receiving care from qualified, licensed providers in other states.
We would miss an opportunity if we approach this issue incrementally. Allowing cross-state treatment for one patient population or disease-type may have made sense as a first step before the pandemic, but we have had more than two years of access for patients in need of all types of services. We should change the status quo for all patients, regardless of diagnosis.