Things You Must Consider for a Locum Tenens Contract:

–    Review contract

–    Make sure contract clearly addresses payment terms, coverage of expenses, appropriate lodging, and malpractice insurance

–    “Out clause” should be offered

–    Give MD time to accomplish personal goals

–    Negotiate changes to the contract that the company offers you

–    Do not make a long-term commitment until the compatibility index has been tested practically (do short 1-2 week assignments initially if possible)

–    Adding to the contract a simple provision that requires the practice to pay you weekly

–    Tell the locums company that it or the practice must purchase the tickets, and request that all return tickets be open tickets.

–    The locums company should have a national contract with a rental car company, so the car rental can be billed directly to it.

–    Ask for a small apartment, which will allow you privacy and access to a kitchen, so you’ll be able to control your diet.  Typically, locums companies will not cover your food expenses, but if they do not supply you with lodging that allows you to control your food expenses, they should contribute to the costs.

–    If one of your reasons for doing a particular assignment is to experience a new part of the country, make sure all parties agree to that objective.  Of course you will want to meet the practice’s needs in caring for patients, but you should also have time to accomplish personal goals.

–    Make sure they send you proof of malpractice coverage before you leave for the assignment.

–    When making changes to the locum tenens contract, follow these few basic rules. When deleting a paragraph or phrase, cross it out with a single line, and initial and date the deletion.   When adding verbiage, print the information clearly and initial and date the addition. Each page of the agreement should be numbered and initialed by you in one of the lower corners.   When you are through making changes, present it to the company for its review.   Do not start an assignment until you have received a counter-signed agreement from the practice or locums company signifying that they have accepted your changes to the agreement.   The company may push you to begin an assignment without a signed agreement.   Don’t.   If you do, you may never see a signed agreement.

–    Pay for licensure

There you go…the steps you must take before signing a locum tenens contract.

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