Military Removes State Licensure As Behavioral Telehealth Requirement

A provision of the fiscal year 2012 defense bill signed into law on December 31, 2011, expands access to behavioral telehealth services by permitting civilian professionals providing the services to military service members to be located and licensed anywhere. It removes the requirement for civilian health care professionals to be licensed in each state where their military patients are being treated. The U.S. Department of Defense National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report limits the change to professionals treating specified recipients, not the general public. The provision (Section 713) will be overseen and interpreted by . . .