What a locum tenens agency handles: Travel, credentialing, malpractice, and more

This is part 3 of a 3-part locum tenens beginner's guide. Read the previous two installments:

• Part 1: How locum tenens works with CompHealth: getting started

• Part 2: Your first locum tenens assignment: What physicians should expect

Locum tenens is a unique way to explore the country, try out new facilities, and set a more flexible schedule—all while earning a competitive salary. However, you might be wondering: What does a locum tenens agency do? Read on to learn about what CompHealth handles, including locum tenens credentialing, malpractice insurance, travel, and housing.

CompHealth credentialing process

Once you’ve accepted your first locum tenens assignment, CompHealth has a dedicated team to handle locum tenens credentialing. This ensures you are qualified to work in your new job and protects both you and the facility if you are charged with malpractice. The CompHealth credentialing process also includes hospital privileging (being authorized to work in specific roles at a specific facility).

To complete credentialing, a CompHealth coordinator will ask you to:

The team then verifies all the information you’ve submitted and waits for the department heads and hospital boards to meet to discuss your application and approve your employment. This part of locum tenens credentialing can take the most time, as it depends on the facility’s meeting timeline.

The CompHealth credentialing process can also include enrolling you with insurance providers so the facility can bill them for patient care.

Step-by-step: See how CompHealth handles credentialing

Licensing

CompHealth is ready to help if you need a medical license to practice in a new state—and we’ll cover the cost! The licensing process is similar to credentialing and requires much of the same paperwork, so it’s important to stay organized and keep the information up to date. A licensing team member will ask you to:

Depending on the state, it can take a couple of weeks or a few months to receive a new medical license, so plan to submit paperwork as soon as possible to start your new assignment on time.

Locum tenens malpractice insurance

With such a robust credentialing process, you might be wondering: Does CompHealth provide malpractice insurance? Yes, we do. CompHealth covers you with a claims-made policy (protection against claims during the policy period, regardless of the incident date).

The locum tenens malpractice insurance CompHealth provides only covers claims filed about work provided on assignment with CompHealth, not while working for other employers or agencies. However, CompHealth’s policy does cover you even if you are no longer working for CompHealth when someone files a malpractice claim.

If you will be working in a state that has a patient compensation fund (PCF), which provides extra coverage and compensates those harmed by medical providers, you will be enrolled in that state’s PCF as well.

Immediately notify CompHealth’s claims management team at [email protected] if you learn about a malpractice claim filed for care you provided on a CompHealth assignment. Our experts are here to support you through the malpractice claim process.

What you need to know: Learn about CompHealth’s medical malpractice coverage

CompHealth locum tenens travel and housing

What does a locum tenens agency do for housing and travel? CompHealth covers all basic costs, making it one of the biggest benefits of working as a locum tenens.

Housing

Your accommodations depend on the length of your assignment.

• One week or less: Standard hotel room

• More than one week and up to 30 days: Larger hotel room with a kitchenette

• Longer than 30 days: One-room, one-bedroom apartment with a TV and bedroom set

While CompHealth covers deposits and utilities, we do not cover room service, movie rentals, or other incidental hotel costs.

Soon after you book your first assignment, a member of CompHealth’s housing team will contact you to coordinate housing and will try to accommodate your requests, like a ground-level or top-floor room, easy access to an elevator, and on-site amenities like a gym, pool, and laundry room.

If you’ll be traveling with a partner, friend, or family member and need a larger space, tell the housing team early. They can look for hotel rooms or apartments to fit everyone, including pets (though you may need to pay the difference if the cost exceeds your assignment’s housing budget).

You can also request a stipend from CompHealth if you’d prefer to find your own housing.

Get the tips: Preparing for a locum tenens assignment

Travel

Your travel while on assignment is also covered! A member of CompHealth’s travel team will contact you to arrange a flight to your locum tenens assignment or reimburse you if you’d prefer to book your own flight (minus in-flight purchases or seat upgrades). This is your time to share any preferences, such as window or aisle seats, and to note whether anyone will be traveling with you.

You can also tell the travel coordinator if you have accounts with certain airline, hotel, or rental car programs. They can add your account to the reservation so you earn reward points.

CompHealth will book a rental car and cover insurance (you are responsible for the cost of upgrading the vehicle) so you can use it while you’re on assignment. Save your receipts: CompHealth will usually reimburse you for fuel, parking, and tolls, as long as you submit the documentation.

Your rental car is intended for your assignment and reasonable personal use; however, you can pay CompHealth the difference if you plan to use the rental car for a vacation or personal travel while you’re in the area.

If you prefer to drive your own car to your assignment, CompHealth will reimburse you for the miles you travel at the IRS standard mileage rate.

So what does a locum tenens agency do? In CompHealth’s case, we provide step-by-step help with licensing, credentialing, and privileging before you start your locum tenens assignment. We also pay for locum tenens malpractice insurance and support you through the claims process if any are filed while you’re working with us. And the CompHealth locum tenens travel and housing teams are ready to help you find comfortable lodging and transportation so you’re prepared for your assignment.

Ready to explore locum tenens? Call 800.453.3030 or view our open physician jobs.