Protecting consumers of health care through the regulation of health care professionals.
Board of Medicine COVID-19 Proclamation
LICENSING AND PRACTICE DURING COVID-19
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Licensing
Out of state practitioners
- During the public health state of emergency, MDs, DOs, PAs, and RTs holding a license in good standing from another state or country are permitted to treat patients in Idaho without an Idaho license. This is permitted until the Governor declares that the public health emergency is over. Out-of-state practitioners treating Idaho patients are encouraged to notify the Board of their intent to practice in Idaho.
Retired or Inactive practitioners
- Retired or inactive practitioners whose license was in good standing when they retired or went inactive, AND who retired or went inactive less than 5 years ago, may apply for a temporary license to practice in Idaho. Such licensure will be valid for 120 days, unless extended by the Board. Applications for temporary licensure can be found on the Board’s website. Applications for temporary license for MDs, DOs, PAs, and RTs will receive expedited processing.
Regular licensing
- Regular licensing will proceed as normal, although processing times may vary depending on office staffing and/or potential reduced hours of operation.
Supervising PAs
Waiver of registration requirement
- Physicians wishing to supervise PAs during the COVID-19 response, who are not currently registered with the Board as a supervising physician may supervise PAs without registering with the Board. The Board recommends they complete the COVID-19 Modified Supervising Physician Attestation and file it on site. The attestation form is available on the Board’s website.
- Physicians who are new to supervising should consult the Board’s rules and the Board’s website regarding the duties and responsibilities of supervising physicians.
Waiver of limit on PAs supervised
- During the COVID-19 response period, the Board has waived the requirement that physicians file a waiver request to supervise more than 4 PAs. This will be in effect for 120 days, unless that period is extended by the Board, as indicated on the website.
COVID-19 Modified DOS
- During the COVID-19 response, supervising physicians are not required to submit the normal DOS form to the Board for approval. Rather, changes or additions to a supervising physician’s supervising relationships may be documented on the COVID-19 Modified DOS form (available on the Board’s website), which is simply be kept up to date and on site at the supervising physician’s practice location.
PA practice
COVID-19 Modified DOS
- To facilitate responsiveness and flexibility in practice during the COVID-19 response, PA’s do not need to submit the Board’s regular DOS form to document changes in their practice or supervision. Rather, PAs may be listed on the COVID-19 Modified DOS form maintained by their supervising physician. This Modified DOS form is available on the Board’s website.
Unsupervised practice
- In responding to the need created by a public health emergency, Board rules allow PAs to render patient services without supervision if necessary, or with what supervision is available. Please see the Board website and the Board’s administrative rules for PAs for more information.
Regular DOS Form
- PAs filing applications for work that is not urgently responsive to COVID-19 should file the standard DOS form. Please note that processing times may vary based on Board staffing concerns.
Telehealth
Out-of-state practice of telemedicine
- Pursuant to the Board’s Proclamation, issued March 18, 2020, out-of-state physicians and physician assistants with a license in good standing in another state will not need an Idaho license to provide telehealth to patients located in Idaho during the response to COVID-19.
Out-of-state supervision of PAs
- Out-of-state physicians wishing to supervise PA practice in Idaho may do so. They simply complete the COVID-19 Modified Supervising Physician Attestation form found on the Board website and maintain the form along with COVID-19 Modified DOS form at their place of practice.
Prescribing controlled substances
- Prescribing controlled substances via telehealth must always comply with Federal law and HHS guidance related to COVID-19.
Telehealth Access Act and Rules
- Any physician or PA who is practicing telemedicine for Idaho patients must follow the Idaho Telehealth Access Act and rules except for any provisions suspended for the COVID-19 crisis.
Complaints
Investigation times
- Although the Board will continue to process and investigate complaints against our licensees at this time, please be advised that processing times may vary due to staffing concerns and in light of public safety.
Complaints re: testing
- The Board will not investigate complaints against individual practitioners for failure to recommend a COVID-19 test, as the guidelines for all COVID-19 testing are determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State and local health official guidelines.
Prelitigation
Filing a Request
- Members of the public may continue to request a prelitigation screening panel in anticipation of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Filing the request with the Board tolls the relevant statute of limitations for medical malpractice as of the date the request is received by the Board.
Processing claims and Hearings
- Effective immediately, the Board will cease holding prelitigation screening panels at its office; such panels may be held by teleconference or at a location to be determined by the parties and the Panel Chairman. Processing times for prelitigation screening panel requests may vary due to staffing concerns. Board staff is empowered to grant an extension of jurisdiction as necessary if a prelitigation screening panel cannot be convened within 90 days.
CME’s
Waiver of CME requirements
- During the COVID-19 response, the Board may waive or extend the time to complete CME credits required for licensure renewal.
Renewals
Licensure Protocol
The Idaho State Board of Medicine (“Board”) is actively monitoring the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in our state. The Board is dedicated to fulfilling its primary mission of protecting the public during this time, while continuing to ensure that Idaho has the health care workforce it needs to treat and care for patients throughout the state. The following are some of the steps that the Board has implemented in its effort to optimize the ability of Idaho’s physicians, physician assistants (PAs), and respiratory therapists (RTs)* to provide safe, effective care to Idahoans during the COVID-19 emergency:
- Expediting temporary licensing and waiver of associated fees for retired and inactive physicians, PAs, and RTs* seeking temporary licenses to treat patients with COVID-19 in Idaho. Providers eligible for temporary licensure must have a current license in good standing in Idaho or another state; had a license in good standing in Idaho or another state in the past 5 years; or have an inactive Idaho license in good standing. The temporary license will last 120 days.
- Temporarily waiving registration requirement for physicians willing to supervise PAs in the state.** Physicians seeking to supervising PAs will not be required to register with the Board but may simply complete the required COVID-19 Response Modified Supervising Physician Attestation form (“Attestation”).
- Temporarily increasing flexibility in documenting physician-PA supervisory relationships to enable practitioners to respond quickly to changes in the clinical setting. This will include removing the limit on the number of PAs supervised (for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis only), along with allowing the supervising physician to complete and maintain onsite an Attestation and COVID-19 Modified Delegation of Services (“DOS”) form (a roster of PAs supervised).
The Board will continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in Idaho and may further adapt its operations as necessary to meet the emerging needs of the public and its licensees. Please be advised that, although the Board is currently operating under business-as-usual procedures, the Board is also dedicated to the safety of its employees. Normal processing of licenses, prelitigation screening panel requests, and disciplinary complaints may be impacted as the severity of the outbreak in Idaho increases.
Resources for the public regarding COVID-19:
*Temporary licensure may be extended to other allied health professionals, including dietitians and athletic trainers, depending on community need.
**Physicians seeking to supervise PAs will not be required to register with the Board but may simply complete the attestation and modified DOS form, to be maintained at the site of practice for potential Board inspection.