JEFFERSON CITY — A Home invoice advocating for an interstate compact permitting physicians to observe in a number of states was met with quite a lot of help Tuesday afternoon.
HB 348 would set up Missouri as a member of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.
The compact is an settlement that permits states to work collectively, considerably streamlining the licensing course of for physicians who need to observe in a number of states, in keeping with the payments sponsor and committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Coleman, R-Grain Valley.
The Skilled Registration and Licensing Committee heard a number of testimonies relating to the invoice, and was met with little resistance.
Missouri borders eight states. Two of the most important cities in Missouri, St. Louis and Kansas Metropolis, border different states.
“All of these [bordering] states are a part of this compact aside from Arkansas,” mentioned Coleman. “It could permit for us to have a way more streamlined course of to get licensed in different states and have them come into Missouri as effectively.”
Coleman mentioned that becoming a member of the compact would carry extra physicians to Missouri, “which we’d like as a result of we don’t have the protection that we’d like proper now.”
“It helps Missourians have entry to healthcare by permitting our potential Kansas and Illinois physicians to observe, and it helps our overwhelmed and understaffed hospitals with recruitment,” mentioned Coleman.
Garnering help from each side of the aisle, Rep. Patty Lewis, D-Kansas Metropolis, vocalized her avid help of the invoice.
As a registered nurse with greater than 20 years of healthcare expertise, Lewis mentioned that it might take a number of months for physicians to obtain their licensing right here in Missouri.
“In accordance with the analysis I did, it’s going to simplify it to just some weeks. We need to get our physicians working towards proper now as shortly as attainable,” mentioned Lewis.
Marschall Smith, the chief director of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Fee, additional highlighted Lewis’ level.
“On common, all licenses issued are performed inside seven to 10 days of the receipt being supplied to the board requesting that license be issued,” mentioned Smith. “It’s efficient, it’s environment friendly.”
Smith went on to testify that Missouri is a member of 37 totally different compacts, so becoming a member of compacts is nothing new for the state.