The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact expands the physician talent pool and streamlines hiring processes for healthcare organizations.

<p>The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (<a href="https://www.imlcc.org/faqs/">IMLC</a>) has revolutionized the physician licensing process, benefitting not only physicians but also healthcare facilities.</p>

<p>Physicians no longer have to apply separately for licenses in each state where they wish to practice. They don&rsquo;t have to worry about navigating the complex and varying processes, forms, background checks, and requirements of multiple state medical boards. Now, they can enjoy an expedited pathway to licensure that allows them to work in most of the <a href="https://www.imlcc.org/participating-states/">39 states and territories</a> participating in the Compact as of <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/interstate-medical-licensure-compact-updates-for-2024">2024</a> (except for about a dozen states and territories not yet in the Compact).</p>

<p>In addition to making life easier and opening career doors for physicians, the IMLC expands the physician talent pool and streamlines hiring processes for healthcare organizations and recruiters. Before the advent of the Compact, licensing, credentialing, and onboarding took even more time than it does today, burning up valuable resources and constricting the pool of available medical professionals.</p>

<h2>2024 IMLC Updates</h2>

<p>As of 2024, the <a href="https://www.imlcc.org/faqs/">Interstate Medical Licensure Compact</a> has made great strides in expanding access and streamlining processes for physicians aiming to practice in multiple states. The Compact became operational in 2017 and now includes most of the United States.</p>

<p>States that have recently introduced legislation to join the Compact are Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina. States and territories not currently in the Compact are Alaska, Arkansas, California, Virginia, South Carolina, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.</p>

<p>Legislation around the IMLC continues to unfold. Some states that have entered the Compact have faced delays in implementation, but there&rsquo;s still considerable progress. Most states in the Compact are states of principal licensure (SPL), meaning they can process and issue IMLC licenses. Others, including Alabama, Vermont, and Connecticut, are IMLC members but are non-SPL states.</p>

<h2>9 Ways the IMLC Helps Healthcare Facilities</h2>

<h3>1. Streamlines processes, saving healthcare facilities time and money</h3>

<p>The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact makes it easier for organizations to recruit and onboard physicians licensed in multiple states. The Compact prevents credentialing bottlenecks and enables facilities to hire physicians more quickly. The process for obtaining a license in each state varies, and it can take as long as <a href="https://medlicense.com/licensure-information/fastest-and-slowest-state-medical-licenses" target="_blank">12 months</a>, delaying start dates for many physicians. IMLC smooths this process out. &ldquo;These licenses are still issued by the individual states &ndash; just as they would be using the standard licensing process &ndash; but because the application for licensure in these states is routed through the Compact, the overall process of gaining a license is significantly streamlined. Physicians receive their licenses much faster and with fewer burdens.&rdquo; (<a href="https://www.imlcc.org/faqs/" target="_blank">IMLC</a>)</p>

<h3>2. Addresses physician shortages in rural and underserved areas</h3>

<p>The IMLC has enabled more physicians to reach more patients. According to <a href="https://www.imlcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Access-to-Care-and-Physician-Practice-Growth-Dr-Deyo-Ghosh-and-Plemmons-11-2023.pdf" target="_blank">Deyo et al</a>., &ldquo;Because US physicians&rsquo; licenses do not transfer between states, their labor mobility is limited, as is patients&rsquo; access to care. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) reduces this barrier in participating states ... We find a 3% increase in out-of-state practices for physicians whose primary state participates in the IMLC. Further, the IMLC increased the number of states in which physicians practiced, with more growth in participating states even after accounting for other policy reforms.&rdquo;</p>

<h3>3. Expands access to candidates, including hard-to-fill specialties</h3>

<p>Since the IMLC increases physician mobility, it widens the net for healthcare organizations seeking top-level candidates, specialists, and subspecialists. This helps facilities address critical specialty shortages and ensure patients have access to specialized care, regardless of location. This is critical, since difficult-to-fill specialties can take over 200 days to fill (<a href="https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/physician-hiring-how-long-it-takes-fill-positions-10-specialties?slide=11" target="_blank">Medical Economics</a>).</p>

<h3>4. Broadens telemedicine capabilities</h3>

<p>The temporary waivers on interstate telehealth restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic showed how essential interstate licensing is for the field (<a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/how-state-licensing-has-evolved-meet-telehealth-s-challenges" target="_blank">American Medical Association</a>). The waivers have expired. Fortunately, the IMLC continues to expand access to telehealth across state lines giving more patients access to essential telemedicine services.</p>

<h3>5. Protects facilities and the public</h3>

<p>&ldquo;While making it easier for physicians to obtain licenses to practice in multiple states, the Compact also strengthens public protection by enhancing the ability of states to share investigative and disciplinary information,&rdquo; according to the <a href="https://www.imlcc.org/a-faster-pathway-to-physician-licensure/">IMLC</a>. This transparency can help safeguard facilities and reduce the risk of hiring a provider with a questionable record who might have relocated, like in years past.</p>

<h3>6. Maintains high standards</h3>

<p>The IMLC upholds rigorous quality standards through the responsibility of the states of principal licensure and intercommunication among all state boards: &ldquo;Under the terms of the compact, the SPL must conduct the primary-source verification of the applying physician&rsquo;s qualifications, verify eligibility and either issue a Letter of Qualification to the Interstate Medical Licensure Commission or notify the Commission that the applicant is ineligible. All state medical and osteopathic boards participating in the Compact are required to share complaint/investigative information with each other. If any participating board takes action against the physician who received a license via the Compact, all boards within the Compact are notified and authorized to take similar action through their regular complaint process&rdquo; (<a href="https://www.imlcc.org/faqs/" target="_blank">IMLC</a>)</p>

<h3>7. Boosts physician satisfaction</h3>

<p>Physicians who feel they have greater career options will, in all probability, be happier. The IMLC opens career opportunities across the U.S. for physicians, so they may be much less stressed, more optimistic, and more intrinsically rewarded. <a href="https://www.imlcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Access-to-Care-and-Physician-Practice-Growth-Dr-Deyo-Ghosh-and-Plemmons-11-2023.pdf" target="_blank">Deyo et al</a>. report that &ldquo;Under the IMLC, providers could move to their highest-valued setting or increase total available care, which would increase benefits on the extensive margin. The compact can also positively interact with other policy reforms expanding access to care and health care provider mobility&hellip;&rdquo;</p>

<h3>8. Enhances emergency response capabilities</h3>

<p>Since increasing numbers of physicians are licensed in multiple states via the IMLC, hospitals have more options for managing public health emergencies or natural disasters. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina displaced over 4,400 physicians (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1149358" target="_blank">JAMA</a>). Out-of-state physician volunteers, many of whom were not licensed to practice in Louisiana, mobilized to help. While the governor suspended regular licensing via executive order to deal with the disaster, at the time, 18 states did not have any program for expedited physician licensure or exemption (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1149358" target="_blank">JAMA</a>). The number of physicians licensed via IMLC may increase the availability of out-of-state disaster-response providers who do not need to go through state or federal emergency waiver programs.</p>

<h3>9.Expands the locum tenens pool</h3>

<p>Many providers who seek interstate licensure also prefer the locum tenens lifestyle. These doctors want to work in various parts of the country, reach diverse patient populations, exchange knowledge and skills with colleagues across different regions, and practice at leading hospitals nationwide. The IMLC gives facilities greater access to a growing locum tenens workforce. The pool of providers has expanded thanks to doors opened by the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Healthcare organizations can now reach more extraordinary talent than ever before.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/locums">Get highly qualified skilled locum tenens physicians for your facility</a>.</p>

How the 2024 IMLC Updates Can Benefit Your Healthcare Organization