Medicare Clarifies Recognition of Interstate License Compacts

On May 5, CMS recognized several new interstate license compacts for physicians and non-physician practitioners. The uptick of telehealth services due to COVID-19 has increased the urgency for these compacts.

CMS will require practitioners under a compact to fulfill both the licensure requirements in their primary state and the requirements outlined by the interstate compact laws that each state participating in the compact adopts. The interstate license compacts will be handled as credible licenses that meet CMS federal license requirements.

Medicare Administrative Compacts (MACs) will now accept CMS-855 enrollment applications from practitioners with an interstate license compact and allow previously denied applications to be reconsidered for processing. The following resources are available for additional information:

•  Chapter 15, Section 15.5.2.1 of the Program Integrity Manual
• CMS MAC Website

View the full CMS article here for additional information. Stay connected by visiting NAMSS COVID-19 Response Page.