How licensure affects
telemedicine
Advances in technology have
opened new doors of opportunity
for many medically underserved
communities in America. Because
of relatively inferior rural
access to specialty health care
providers, citizens in these
communities must often travel
great distances to receive care,
or forego medical treatment
until it becomes urgent.
Telemedicine technology
increases physicians' capacity
to serve these citizens and
improves their access to health
care. Yet, when medically
underserved patients and
physicians are located in
separate states the issue of
practitioner licensure arises.
Licensure laws that regulate
interstate telemedicine practice
vary from state to state.
Categories of telemedicine
licensure
Restrictive licensure
Restrictive licensure laws
require a practitioner to obtain
a full license to deliver
telemedicine care across state
lines. Typically, states with
restrictive licensure laws also
have several exceptions (varying
from state to state) that may
release an out-of-state
practitioner from the additional
burden of obtaining such a
license.
A number of States require
practitioners who seek
compensation to frequently
deliver interstate care to
acquire a full license. If a
practitioner serves several
states, obtaining this license
in each state could be an
expensive and time-consuming
proposition. Even if the
practitioner never practices
medicine face-to-face with a
patient in another state, he/she
still must meet a variety of
other individual state
requirements, including paying
substantial licensure fees,
passing additional oral and
written examinations, and
traveling for interviews.
Updated
06/2007
Alabama Medical Board Full
License required.
Alaska Medical Board Full
License required.
Arizona Medical Board Full
License required.
Arkansas Medical Board Full
License required.
California Medical Board Full
License required.
Colorado Medical Board Full
License required.
Connecticut Medical Board Full
License required.
Delaware Medical Board Full
License required.
Florida Medical Board Full
License required.
Georgia Medical Board Full
License required.
Hawaii Medical Board Full
License required.
Idaho Medical Board Full
License required.
Illinois Medical Board Full
License required.
Indiana Medical Board Full
License required.
Iowa Medical Board Full License
required.
Kansas Medical Board Full
License required.
Kentucky Medical Board Full
License required.
Louisiana Medical Board Full
License required.
Maine Medical Board Full
License required.
Maryland Medical Board Full
License required.
Massachusetts Medical Board
Full License required.
Michigan Medical Board Full
License required.
Minnesota Medical Board
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
License Available
Mississippi Medical Board Full
License required.Yes, a full,
unrestricted Mississippi license
is required. It is not required
if reading for consultation
only. Section 73-25-34,
Telemedicine; licensing
requirements for practicing
medicine across state lines,
states:
(1) For the purposes of this
section, telemedicine, or the
practice of medicine across
state lines, shall be defined to
include any one or both of the
following:
(a) Rendering of a medical
opinion concerning diagnosis or
treatment of a patient within
this state by a physician
located outside this state as a
result of transmission
individual patient data by
electronic or other means from
within this state to such
physician or his agent; or
(b) The rendering of treatment
to a patient within this state
by a physician located outside
this state as a result of
transmission of individual
patient data by electronic or
other means from within this
state to such physician or his
agent.
(2) Except as hereinafter
provided, no person shall engage
in the practice of medicine
across state lines
(telemedicine) in this state,
hold himself out as qualified to
do the same, or use any title,
word or abbreviation to indicate
to or induce others to believe
that he is duly licensed to
practice medicine across state
lines in this state unless he
has first obtained a license to
do so from the State Board of
Medical Licensure and has met
all educational and licensure
requirements as determined by
the State Board of Medical
Licensure.
(3) The requirement of licensure
as set forth in subsection (2)
above shall not be required
where the evaluation, treatment
and/or the medical opinion to be
rendered by a physician outside
this state (a) is requested by a
physician duly licensed to
practice medicine in this state,
and (b) the physician who has
requested such evaluation,
treatment and/or medical opinion
has already established a
doctor/patient
Missouri Medical Board
Full, unrestricted Missouri
license is required if the
physician is reading directly
for a patient. It is not
required if the physician is
reading for another doctor of
medicine already licensed in the
state.
Montana Medical Board
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
License Available
Nebraska Medical Board Full
License required.
Nevada Medical Board Special
Purpose License Required.
New Hampshire Medical Board
Full License required.
New Jersey Medical Board Full
License required.
New Mexico Medical Board
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
License Available
New York Medical Board Full
License required.
North Carolina Medical Board
Full License required.
North Dakota Medical Board Full
License required.
Ohio Medical Board
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
License Available
Oklahoma Medical Board
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
License Available
Oregon Medical Board
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
License Available
Pennsylvania Medical Board Full
License required.
Rhode Island Medical Board Full
License required
South Carolina Medical Board
Full License required.
South Dakota Medical Board Full
License required.
Tennessee Medical Board Full
License required
Texas Medical Board
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
License Available
Utah Medical Board Full License
required.
Vermont Medical Board Full
License required.
Virginia Medical Board Full
License required.
Washington Medical Board Full
License required.
West Virginia Medical Board
Full License required.
Wisconsin Medical Board Full
License required.
Wyoming Medical Board Full
License required.