Plan to promote multistate doctors met with resistance

DES MOINES - Lawmakers plan to proceed cautiously - if they do so at all - in terms of entering Iowa into a multistate compact that would make it easier for doctors licensed in other states to also become licensed in Iowa.

Hospitals statewide and the Iowa Board of Medicine are recommending Iowa join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, an effort being made nationwide to increase the portability of physician licensing.

But state lawmakers said after a committee meeting Wednesday that they are hesitant to leap into such an agreement.

Similar legislation has been introduced in roughly half the states, Iowa Board of Medicine executive director Mark Bowden said. Supporters say the compact will create more physicians who can practice across state borders - such as Iowa and Illinois, or Iowa and Nebraska - and expand the use of telemedicine.

'Essentially what it does is it allows for physicians who want to practice in Iowa, who meet a higher level of qualifications … an easier way to practice,” Bowden said. 'Highly qualified physicians will get licensed faster.”

Bowden said the compact does not impact Iowa's ability to regulate medicinal practices in the state. He said the reciprocity agreement would benefit regional health care systems and assist in the recruitment of doctors.

Rep. Linda Miller, R-Bettendorf, does not believe the compact will have that effect.

'It doesn't change anything other than physicians having multiple licenses. It doesn't create more physicians for us,” added Miller, who is a registered nurse. 'The talking points are we're going to have this massive group of people that are going to come in and be dual-licensed in Iowa and pay an extra thousand bucks (for that license). I doubt it. People that want to be licensed in Iowa are licensed in Iowa.”

Miller said she believes the hospitals are pushing for the compact because they hope to receive more telemedicine reimbursement payments.

Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said she could not support advancement of the bill because of troubles Iowa has had with other multistate compacts, including a recent one on higher education.

'Having had that experience and this being a new agreement, no state is involved in this. I think we need to just let it settle awhile to make sure that we have, as a state, a voice in decisions about policy,” she said.

Lobbyists representing regional hospital systems such as UnityPoint Health and Gundersen said their hospitals are also encouraging lawmakers in neighboring states like Illinois and Wisconsin to join the compact, which requires legislative approval from seven states before it can be created.

A similar bill has been introduced in the Iowa Senate. A subcommittee met this week and took no action on the bill.