Ep 13 All Else Equal with Maureen Ohlhausen: "Does Regulation Help or Hurt Consumers?"

Telemedicine

Telemedicine is reshaping the landscape of professional licensing, challenging traditional state boundaries. Maureen Ohlhausen highlights how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, prompting regulatory changes that allow doctors to operate across state lines in federal facilities 1. However, she notes that entrenched interests often resist these changes, as seen in Texas, where a rule prohibiting telemedicine was initially implemented but later retracted after public outcry 1.

I do think things like telemedicine, particularly during the pandemic, has really increased the pressure to open up these fields.

--- Maureen Ohlhausen

This tension between technological progress and regulatory resistance underscores the complexity of modern licensing issues.

   

Cross-State Practice

The ability for professionals to practice across state lines is fraught with regulatory challenges. Jonathan Berk questions whether licensing truly serves consumer interests or if it primarily benefits producers by restricting market entry 2. Maureen Ohlhausen suggests that while some licensing is necessary, such as for brain surgeons, other professions may not require stringent regulations 2.

It's not a binary choice. You know, no licensing ever in any profession versus, you know, elaborate licensing in every, every conceivable job that you could think of.

--- Maureen Ohlhausen

This nuanced perspective invites a reevaluation of how licensing can adapt to technological advancements without stifling innovation.