CPCS Telemedicine Credentialing and Privileging Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A telepsychiatry provider licensed in State A wants to provide services to patients in State B. Which compact would most likely facilitate this cross-state licensure?
- The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)
- The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)
- The Physical Therapy Compact (PTC)
- The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)
PSYPACT is the interstate compact specifically designed to facilitate telepsychology and temporary in-person practice across member states for licensed psychologists.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Interstate Medical Licensure Compact?
- To replace individual state medical licenses with a single national license
- To create an expedited pathway for physicians to obtain licensure in multiple states (Correct answer)
- To standardize medical education requirements across all states
- To establish a federal telemedicine credentialing database
Correct answer: To create an expedited pathway for physicians to obtain licensure in multiple states
The IMLC creates a streamlined process for eligible physicians to obtain medical licenses in multiple member states, facilitating telemedicine practice.
Question 3: During the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS issued waivers that temporarily modified telemedicine credentialing requirements. Which of the following best describes the primary change?
- CMS eliminated the requirement for any credentialing of telemedicine providers
- CMS allowed hospitals to credential providers using telemedicine without completing primary source verification
- CMS permitted hospitals to use practitioner self-attestation as a temporary substitute for full credentialing (Correct answer)
- CMS transferred all credentialing responsibility to state health departments
Correct answer: CMS permitted hospitals to use practitioner self-attestation as a temporary substitute for full credentialing
CMS 1135 waivers allowed hospitals to provisionally credential providers based on self-attestation and defer primary source verification during the public health emergency.
Question 4: What is the role of a Credentials Verification Organization (CVO) in telemedicine credentialing?
- To grant privileges to telemedicine providers on behalf of the originating site
- To perform primary source verification of practitioner credentials to support the credentialing process (Correct answer)
- To set national standards for telemedicine credentialing
- To provide malpractice insurance for telemedicine providers
Correct answer: To perform primary source verification of practitioner credentials to support the credentialing process
A CVO performs primary source verification of credentials, providing verified information that hospitals use to make credentialing and privileging decisions.
Question 5: Which element is MOST critical to include in a telemedicine services agreement regarding scope of practice?
- The telemedicine technology vendor's service level agreement terms
- A clear delineation of the specific clinical services the telemedicine provider is authorized to deliver (Correct answer)
- The billing and reimbursement methodology for telemedicine encounters
- The geographic service area covered by the telemedicine arrangement
Correct answer: A clear delineation of the specific clinical services the telemedicine provider is authorized to deliver
Clearly defining the authorized clinical services prevents scope creep and ensures the provider only delivers services for which they have been privileged.
Question 6: A credentialing specialist discovers that a telemedicine provider has a history of hospital privilege restrictions in another state. Which primary source should be queried first?
- The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) (Correct answer)
- The American Medical Association Physician Masterfile
- The state licensing board where the restriction occurred
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration database
Correct answer: The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB)
The NPDB is the primary federal repository for reports of adverse actions, including hospital privilege restrictions, and is the first source to query.
Question 7: Under telemedicine privileging standards, which type of privilege review is required when a provider begins providing a new telemedicine service not previously performed at the facility?
- Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) (Correct answer)
- Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE)
- Proctored observation only
- No additional review if privileges exist at the distant site
Correct answer: Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE)
FPPE is required whenever a new privilege is granted, including new telemedicine service types, to ensure the provider's competency in that specific area.
CPCS Telemedicine Credentialing and Privileging Standards 3
A telepsychiatry provider licensed in State A wants to provide services to patients in State B.
Which compact would most likely facilitate this cross-state licensure?