HCA 255 TOPIC 4 DQ 2
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 the advantage and a disadvantage be in this policy or law change?
answer
Currently, each state is responsible for licensing the different professionals that provide health care to patients. Examples of such health professionals are physicians, physician assistants, podiatrists, and chiropractors. This licensing is handled by the state boards which require individuals to graduate from an accredited program and pass a nationwide standardized test administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. If this duty were switched to the federal level and handled by one central board in each specialty, it would likely save money. However, if this were to happen, credentials may not be as regulated and it would then be easier for people to become health care practitioners without truly understanding what they do.
There should be one federal licensing board that regulates the duties of health care practitioners. By making this change, it will not only reduce costs for each citizen, but the number of licensing boards will go from 50 to 1, making it easier for one person to acquire the necessary documents to acquire a license.
As a result of the various licensing requirements for health care practitioners, costs can increase as workers move from one state to another. If these jobs were handled at the federal level, there would be numerous advantages. First, the cost of administering this system would decrease. This is because health care providers who move from state to state would only have to register once when making the move. Additionally, there would be less confusion among workers and employers as well.
Licensing of health care practitioners is controlled by the states. This allows the states to determine what requirements are necessary for their individual populations, but it also leads to a disjointed licensing system that is not uniform across the country and makes it difficult to travel with your license. The federal government should step in and allow for a central regulator to create nationwide standards for licensing. This will make it easier for licensed professionals to be licensed in multiple states by being able to apply once and meet one exam standard. It will also save on administrative costs by having less boards and officials making decisions on regulations.