Healthcare and Telehealth Deregulation Comes to Another State (Connecticut)

Last month, the state of Connecticut adopted both the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) and the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT). This has allowed Connecticut to join the thirty-eight other states who have adopted the IMLC and the thirty-four other states that have adopted the PSYPACT.

Utah has already adopted both compacts. The IMLC was adopted in 2015 with the passing of House Bill 121. The PSYPACT compact was adopted in 2017 with the passing of Senate Bill 106. 

The IMLC provides physicians with a process through which they can obtain licensure in numerous states without becoming individually licensed in each state. Specifically, the IMLC is an agreement among participating states to work in unison toward streamlining the licensing process for physicians who want to practice in multiple states. 

This compact establishes and allows a voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for qualifying physicians. The goal of this expedited pathway is to increase the access to health care patients have, especially those in underserved or rural areas. Ultimately, this compact achieves this goal by growing the reach of physicians, improving individuals’ access to medical specialists, and leveraging the use of new medical technologies, such as telemedicine. 

PSYPACT’s objective is to increase access to psychology services and allow for telepsychology across state lines. By increasing such access, PSYPACT helps guarantee that patients can find and will have access to needed services. Outside of simply expanding access, PSYPACT has a host of other benefits. For example, this compact, through increasing access to providers, can allow individuals to find more easily a provider who shares their language, racial, or ethnic background.

Additionally, PSYPACT is beneficial to providers as the network that providers can access grows as the number of participating states in the compact does. To illustrate this point, imagine there is a shortage of psychologists specializing in anxiety disorders in your home state. Psychologists in your state, under PSYPACT, could more easily reach out and solicit help from out-of-state psychologists who do specialize in anxiety disorders. 

Connecticut should be applauded for the recent adoption of these compacts. These compacts should immediately help clarify legal and regulatory issues that have complicated inter-jurisdictional practice in the past and open doors for healthcare providers to more efficiently serve the population of Connecticut.