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licensee providing audiology or speech language pathology Telehealth services in a remote state under the compact privilege shall function within the laws and regulations of the state where the patient /client is located. 4. There is inadequate oversight of the Commission and written information is needed on how oversight will be handled. 5.Physician members are excluded from this compact. This omission sacrifices valuable collaboration and oversight in place to protect the public. Physician participation and membership should be mandatory. 6. Unlike medical licensure compacts where a physician must be already licensed to practice in a state, this compact creates and dictates uniform licensure for two very different professions. 7. The compact calls for active duty military or their spouse to retain their home state designation. This is thought to be an unnecessary provision in the compact for most states have already addressed this issue. The Compact Commission will levy and collect an annual assessment from each member state or impose fees on other parties to cover the cost of operations. That amount will be formulated by the Commission and be binding upon all member states. It is unclear as to the amount that will be imposed upon each state's budget. Concerns over this causing an increase in the overall regulatory burden exists. 10 states must join the compact to become effective. As of November 2020, six states had already passed the audiology speech language pathology Interstate compact in various forms. Two states Utah and West Virginia passed the compact with the amendments that were forwarded from the AAO and AMA. Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Wyoming passed the legislation unamended. Georgia's legislation was vetoed by its governor. As of now Pennsylvania has not seen this compact presented in our state but we will continue to follow its potential very closely. The 2021 American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Leadership Forum was held on April 17th, virtually. Updates on coding, billing, and reimbursements were given along with keynote addresses on health care priorities of the Biden administration and the current COVID-19 pandemic landscape. Federal and state legislative and regulatory updates were provided. Panel discussions and speakers on key advocacy issues facing physicians in the new Congress were included. A state Oto society roundtable with executive directors and society administrators/leaders gathered to discuss common interests and concerns.
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For more information go to the AAO/ HNS website at www.entnet.org and select the BOG section.