What is a PSYPACT E.Passport and what does it mean?

Written By Megan Boutinen

Virtual healthcare has become increasingly more popular in the past 20 years and has become a regularly used method of accessing care since the pandemic (Orbit Health, 2020; Taylor, 2022). Did you know that telemedicine has been in use since the early 1900s? 🤯 The VA was a huge proponent for virtual healthcare beginning in 2012 (Mahar, Rosencrance, & Rasmussen, 2018), and in the past 5 years the APA has established more rules and regulations regarding virtual psychotherapy (Orbit Health 2020).

One of the challenges with navigating virtual psychotherapy and healthcare is jurisdiction regarding licensing and credentials to provide care. For example, if the provider is in New Jersey and the patient is in Idaho, where is the care being provided and who has jurisdiction over the care being provided? Is the care being provided where the patient is or where the provider is? Does the state where the patient is located have jurisdiction regarding that treatment or is it where the provider is located? 🤔 These questions have led to rules and regulations related to providers’ licensing and authority to practice that sometimes make it difficult for patients to access care, even though treatment is more accessible now that connecting remotely is an option. 

Specifically, for psychologists, these rules apply as follows:

The psychologist must be licensed in the state they’re physically located AND the state where the client is physically located.

That certainly makes things challenging! In 2015, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) approved the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compat (PSYPACT) to address this issue and make virtual psychological care more accessible (ASPPB, 2025). Who is the ASPPB and what is PSYPACT?

ASPPB is group of state, provincial and territorial agencies who govern licensure and certification of psychologists throughout the US and Canada (ASPPB, 2025b). It is an agency that verifies credentialing and licensure of psychologists throughout the US and Canada. The ASPPB is used by states and other organizations to verify a psychologists licensing status.

PSYPACT is an interstate arrangement where participating states have agreed to enact legislation that allows for psychologists with the Authority to Practice Interjurisdicational Telepsychology (APIT) credential called an E.Passport to practice telepsychology among those participating states (ASPPB, 2025a).

What does all that mean? 🧐 It means that psychologists that hold an E.Passport are credentialed in 42 participating states, and they can practice virtually across those states without having to hold a psychologist license in each of those states (ASPPB, 2025a).

How does an E.Passport work with insurance coverage? The short answer – it doesn’t. Insurance credentialing and contracts is an entire post in and of itself, but the gist is that the provider needs to have a state license in both the state where the client is and where they’re providing service from. The PSYPACT only applies to state participation, not insurance provider participation.  Therefore, a client should plan to pay privately if they are meeting with a psychologist who holds an E.Passport and they are in a PSYPACT participating state vs. where the psychologist holds a state license.

All this to say – an E.Passport is a wonderful tool and resource that addresses jurisdictional barriers to psychologists providing psychological services across the US. It promotes and provide greater access to mental healthcare. Hopefully, insurance coverage will soon coincide with this credential, which will further improve this access.

    • Alabama

    • Arizona

    • Arkansas

    • Colorado

    • Connecticut

    • Delaware

    • District of Columbia

    • Florida

    • Georgia

    • Idaho

    • Illinois

    • Indiana

    • Kansas

    • Kentucky

    • Maine

    • Maryland

    • Michigan

    • Minnesota

    • Mississippi

    • Missouri

    • Nebraska

    • Nevada

    • New Hampshire

    • New Jersey

    • North Carolina

    • North Dakota

    • Ohio

    • Oklahoma

    • Pennsylvania

    • Rhode Island

    • South Carolina

    • South Dakota

    • Tennessee

    • Texas

    • Utah

    • Vermont

    • Virginia

    • Washington

    • West Virginia

    • Wisconsin

    • Wyoming

Megan Boutinen, PhD is a licensed psychologist in Texas and Washington State, and holds an E.Passport.

Megan is the owner and practicing provider at Pacific Vista Psychology in Austin, TX.

 

If you have questions and/or would like to make an appointment with Megan, please reach out via phone or email:
Email: office@pacificvistapsychology.com
Phone (text message capable): 512-559-3877

Pacific Vista Psychology has new website! Excited to provide more information about Megan Boutinen, PhD and the services she offers. You can reach out to Megan through the new contact page and/or access her schedule to request an appointment. Please
Megan Boutinen,PhD was recently credentialed with BlueCross BlueShield! She is now in-network with Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, and United Healthcare/Optum. Megan is accepting new clients and available for in-office appointments in Lakeway and/or virtually. C
Pacific Vista Psychology has made it easier to schedule! Prospective, new and existing clients can now schedule/request an appointment online! You can access Megan Boutinen, PhD’s available appointment times and request to schedule for a specif
What are Megan Boutinen, PhD’s clinical interests? Megan is a licensed psychologist in TX, WA and holds a PSYPACT passport to treat virtually in 42 states. Areas of specialty are couples work and eating disorders. With couples, Megan is well
Megan Boutinen,PhD was recently credentialed with United Healthcare/Optum! She is now in-network with Aetna, Cigna, and United Healthcare/Optum. Megan is accepting new clients and available for in-office appointments in Lakeway and/or virtually. Call
New blog post! Have you heard of an E.Passport for psychologists? Continue to my blog to learn more! https://www.pacificvistapsychology.com/pvpblog/what-is-a-psypact-epassport-and-what-does-it-mean #psychologypractice #mentalhealth #lakeway #austi
We’re excited to announce that Pacific Vista Psychology and Megan Boutinen, PhD are now in network with the following insurance providers: @aetna @cignahealthcare @questbehavioralhealth #carelonbehavioralhealth More coming soon! Please r
We all want to effectively support our partners, but sometimes it feels like a no win conversation…there is a difference between healthy venting and emotional dumping! Healthy venting is constructive and it feels collaborative - it’s a

 References

ASPPB. (2025, January 27). Psychology interjurisdictional compact (PSYPACT). ASPPB. https://www.asppb.net/page/PSYPACT#:~:text=Approved%20in%20February%202015%20by,address%20a%20particular%20policy%20issue.&text=Learn%20more%20about%20the%20progress%20of%20PSYPACT%20on%20PSYPACT's%20website%20here

ASPPB. (2025). What is ASPPB? ASPPB. https://www.asppb.net/page/What_is_ASPPB

Mahar, J.H., Rosencrance, G.J., Rasmussen, P.A. (2018). Telemedicine: Past, present, and future. Cleaveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 85(12), 938-942. doi:10.3949/ccjm.85a.17062

Orbit Health. (2020, September 25). A brief history of telepsychiatry. https://www.orbithealth.com/brief-history-telepsychiatry/

Taylor, K. (2022, November 30). Telehealth: What it means, history, future. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/telehealth-5115239

Megan Boutinen