Page 10 - Part 2 Introduction to Telemedicine

SVMIC Introduction to Telemedicine

Additional Requirements

Licensure Requirements

The default position is that a provider is fully licensed to practice

medicine in the state where the patient is located at the time of the
encounter. (Federally licensed physicians who exclusively treat

Federal beneficiaries may be exempt from this requirement.) Some

states have issued special, limited licenses for telemedicine or
expedited credentialing for telemedicine practice. (Tennessee

issued a number of limited telemedicine licenses which it will
continue to honor—without prescribing privileges—but has frozen

this program.)
2

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) is an agreement
among 24 states and 1 territory and the 31 associated Medical and

Osteopathic Boards. Under this agreement licensed physicians
can qualify to practice medicine across state lines within the

Compact if they meet the agreed upon eligibility requirements.
3

CASE STUDY

Physician worked for a telemedicine company for approximately
seven months providing 20-30 minute consultations by phone.

During that time, she wrote almost 900 prescriptions to more

than 600 individuals. A large majority of the prescriptions that
were written were for Hydrocodone. The consultations did not

include any kind of physical examination. The physician was then
informed via letter that the State Medical Board was going to

determine whether or not to sanction her medical license. She

requested a hearing with the Board regarding the matter. During

2 https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/Telemedicine_FAQs.pdf
3 http://www.imlcc.org/

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