Federation of State Medical Boards Releases Final Interstate Licensure Compact Guidance – The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) released model legislation on September 5, 2014, to guide states in making it easier for doctors to practice in more than one state.  According to a statement released by the FSMB, the draft legislation, if adopted by state legislatures, would “significantly reduce barriers to the process of gaining licensure in multiple states, helping facilitate licensure portability and telemedicine while expanding access to health care by physicians, particularly in underserved areas of the nation.”  The model legislation is available here.

DEA Issues Final RUle to Allow Pharmacies, Other Entities to Take Back Unused Rx Drugs – On July 31, 2014, CMS released the final Medicare FY 2015 payment rule for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).  The final rule adopts a net market basket update of 2.0%.  The agency also discussed the status of its efforts to identify an alternative payment methodology for SNF therapy services and declined to offer a timeline for development of the new model.  The final rule is effective October 1, 2014, and is expected to be published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2014.  A display copy is available here.