PSYPACT is Live and Rapidly Expanding

Telehealth is a fulfillment of the dream: “healthcare for everyone, everywhere, anytime.” As telehealth becomes more mainstream and providers begin to see it as a tool rather than a patch; as technology becomes more user-friendly and consumers are actively seeking out video visits instead of using them as a solution of last resort; those on the forefront of healthcare are seeing that dream rapidly turning into reality. Take, for example, the most recent news from the world of telepsychology.

PSYPACT (the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact) went live on April 23 when GA Governor Brian Kemp signed his state’ entrance bill into law. The compact now includes 8 states, with 3 more set to join by 1/2020. Delaware was the latest to join the compact on 6/27. There are 5 more states in the nation with current pending legislation on this compact. 

According to the compact’s FAQ, “PSYPACT is an interstate compact designed to allow licensed psychologists to practice of telepsychology and conduct temporary in-person face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries legally and ethically without necessitating that an individual become licensed in every state to practice.” 

PSYPACT Legislation has been enacted in the following states:

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Delaware 
• Georgia
• Missouri 
• Nebraska
• Nevada 
• Utah
• Texas (Effective 9/1/2019)
• Oklahoma (Effective 11/1/2019)
• Illinois (Effective 1/1/2020)

States with Pending Legislation:

• District of Columbia – DC B145 
• New Hampshire – NH HB483 & NH SB232 
• North Carolina – NC HB297 
• Pennsylvania – PA SB67 
• Rhode Island – RI SB682

What are the Compact’s Next Steps?

“Next, the PSYPACT Commission will be established and they will be responsible for the creation of Bylaws and Rules. Once those are finalized, the application process will open for the E.Passport and Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC).” says the organization’s Legislative Updates page.

“Upon completion of these documents and finalization of requirements for the ASPPB E.Passport Certificate (for telepsychology) and Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (for temporary practice), the process will open for licensed psychologists to apply for/begin using these certificates and practicing under the authority of PSYPACT,” further explains the official ASPPB press release.

The compact was created and receives oversight from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. For more information on the organization, or to learn more about PSYPACT, you can visit the ASPPB and PSYPACT websites.

Mhealthintelligence first reported on the compact going live on June 26th.

For more information and resources on pricing and policy, browse through our library at simplevisit.com/resources or call a SimpleVisit telemedicine consultant at 877.83.VISIT (84748).