Question

Currently, states regulate the licensing requirements of health care practitioners. If this duty were handled at the federal level in an effort to save money by having one licensing board instead of a board in every state, what would an advantage and a disadvantage be in this policy or law change?

Answer 1

Ans) Licensure is a process by which a governmental authority grants permission to an individual practitioner or. health care organization to operate or to engage in an occupation or profession.

- Licensure regulations are generally established to ensure that an organization or individual meets minimum standards to protect.

- The committee recommends statutory certification for fields in which the state determines there is a need for regulation because this form of regulation offers most of the benefits of licensure with fewer of its costs.

- Medicare and other third-party payers should accept state title certification as a prerequisite for reimbursement eligibility.

- Such certification can and should be based on examinations and other eligibility criteria the states may establish.

- The committee recommends that states strengthen the accountability and broaden the public base of their regulatory mechanisms. In the near term, the committee suggests the following:

Licensing boards should draw at least half of their membership from outside the licensed occupation; members should be drawn from the public as well as from a variety of areas of expertise such as health administration, economics, consumer affairs, education, and health services research.
- Flexibility in licensure statutes should be maintained to the greatest extent possible without undue risk of harm to the public. This may mean, for instance, allowing multiple paths to licensure or overlapping scopes of practice for some licensed occupations.

- The goal of licensure is to ensure that the licensees have the minimal degree of competency necessary to ensure that public health, safety, and/or welfare are protected.There are usually ongoing requirements that need to be met to maintain the license (CEUs, retests, physical exams, etc.).