Doctors Without Borders: Illinois Becomes 11th State to Streamline Multi-State Physician Licensure

Illinois physicians seeking to practice in other states as well as out-of-state physicians looking to practice in Illinois will have an easier time doing so now that Illinois has joined 10 other states in enacting the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Act (the “Act”).

Simplified Licensure Process

Signed into law on July 20th by Gov. Bruce Rauner, the Act allows physicians who wish to practice in any of the states participating in the Compact to obtain multiple state licenses without going through the process of submitting a formal application or providing the same materials to each participating state medical board.

An “Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission,” which will be formed now that a sufficient number of states have joined the Compact, will collect applicable fees and transmit the physician’s information and licensure fees to the additional states in which the physician seeks to practice.  Those states would then make the licensure decision.

Promoting Telemedicine

The driving force behind the Compact is the increasing use of telehealth technology by doctors and other health care professionals who are generally prohibited from delivering health care services through telemedicine to patients in states in which they are not licensed. By streamlining the licensing process and decreasing redundancy, the Compact aims to remove barriers to the use of telehealth in patient care.

11 States and Counting

In addition to Illinois, the other states that are currently members of the Compact are:

  • Alabama
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • West Virginia
  • Wyoming

The number of states participating in this arrangement is only expected to grow, as legislation is currently pending in Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Wisconsin and Vermont that would bring those states into the Compact’s fold.

Louis Fine: Your Chicago Physician and Health Care Licensure Attorney

As a former chief prosecuting attorney and administrative law judge for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), and with experience both prosecuting and defending doctors and other health care professionals before IDFPR, I understand how the Department handles licensure matters, why it decides to pursue investigations, how it approaches negotiations, and how to handle formal proceedings in a way that gives my clients the best possible chance of a positive outcome.

If you are a physician or health care profession and have questions or concerns about a licensure matter, please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.