LETTER

Patient access to doctors threatened by proposed bill

Posted 5/26/16

To the Editor: As president of the Rhode Island Physicians for Quality Care, I am writing to voice our organization's opposition to the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Bill (Senate S4297 and House H7771) that has been introduced in the RI

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LETTER

Patient access to doctors threatened by proposed bill

Posted

To the Editor:

As president of the Rhode Island Physicians for Quality Care, I am writing to voice our organization’s opposition to the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Bill (Senate S4297 and House H7771) that has been introduced in the RI legislature. There are over 150 Rhode Island doctors who have signed a petition against the Compact that, according to the Rhode Island Medical Society, only 40 to 50 doctors would theoretically want to participate in such a restrictive licensing program.

Essentially, this bill gives out of state monopolies the power to make laws in Rhode Island in exchange for a blank check from Rhode Island so that 40-50 doctors can possibly get a faster conditional license to practice medicine – in Montana or some other state.

In summary, the four major concerns we have with this proposed bill are as follows:

Cost to taxpayers is not spelled out and would result in our state paying unknown dues and assessments a blank check at taxpayers expense.

Loss of medical care for up to 2,000 patients per doctor rendered unable to practice due to high restrictions outlined in this bill. Two monopolistic companies are being tied to this bill who are reducing the number of practicing physicians nationwide because of their high restrictions.

Loss of legislative control and accountability to out-of-state, private organizations with as-yet-to-be-written rules superseding RI law (see page 3 line 21 of the bill).

This bill is written for only 40-50 doctors who theoretically might be interested to participate. Up to 30% of the 4,491 doctors or 1,347 practicing in RI are ineligible and 4,451 are likely not interested in participating. This bill is being proposed for a theoretical 0.8 percent of RI doctors. Most doctors when they understand the restrictions would rather wait an extra two weeks to have a full Rhode Island license instead of a conditional license through the out of state Compact.

Two states (Oklahoma and Kentucky) recently passed bills protecting doctors from some of the restrictive rules of the Compact including the Maintenance of Certification, and two other states are considering similar bills. Of the 17 states who introduced the Compact bill last year, 40 percent declined to pass it last year. Our neighboring state of Massachusetts is not even considering it.

On behalf of the Rhode Island physicians, I am strongly urging our legislators to oppose the Compact and investigate the financial relationships of the organizations behind this bill. It is not in the best interest of our State, physicians, patients or taxpayers. Dr. Debbi McInteer, President

Rhode Island Physicians for Quality Care

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