Therapy Jobs Blog

This question is quite common among traveling therapists and is a big enforcement of the IRS. This is a big decision among you as a therapist and the recruiters who are assigning jobs to you throughout the year.

Many therapists will ask if they need a 1099. Let’s first address the difference between a 1099 and an employee.

If you are considered an employee, then the job recruiter (in this case Travel Rehab) will pay your withholding taxes- Fica, Federal, Social Security, etc. A 1099 is designed for those who are independent contractors. Those who file 1099s are responsible to pay their own taxes at the end of the year.

Obviously as an employee, you need-not worry about your withholdings. If you are a contractor and fail to properly put money aside to pay your taxes at the end of the year, the IRS can and will audit you costing you far more money down the road.

The IRS has a list of factors which is supposed to be reviewed to determine whether someone is an independent contractor or an employee. The most important factor is whether the person works for one company or several companies. While the therapist is at a facility where he was placed by Travel Rehab, he is working only for Travel Rehab.  For he therapist to be an independent contractor, he has to be doing work for several different facilities simultaneously, and being paid by several different facilities.  The therapist may work for four facilities in a year, one after another, but he is an employee of each or of the company that placed him there, not an independent contractor because they are one after another and not all at the same time.

The best is to always ask your recruiter any questions before taking an assignment. It is also wise to have an accountant that you can discuss your tax liabilities as well.

A newly proposed change by the The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2008 would allow the recertification period for Speech Language Pathology services to extend from the current 30 days to 90 days. Quoting the CMS: “review and certify the initial plan of care as soon as possible,” the certification would apply “for an episode length based on the patient’s needs, not to exceed 90 days, and would be recertified every 90 days thereafter.”

How does this affect an SLP? For starters, it protects their patient’s access to the treatment and reduces the amount of admin paperwork needed currently to review/recertify the treatment every 30 days. The proposed ruling was published in July and may be viewed by clicking here.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that Occupational Therapists are projected to increase much faster than average due to the rapidly-growing baby boomers in the United States. This in turn increases both Occupational Therapists and Assistants at a greater rate.

Another interesting statistic the BLS shows the average OT works part-time, although it does report Occupational Therapists who work in hospitals usually work a 40 hour week.

For those interested in a Career as an Occupational Therapist, here are a few things to consider:

• As of 2007, a master’s degree or higher is the minimum requirement for and OT.
• OTs not only help their patients improve their basic motor functions, but also compensate for permanent loss of function.
• Therapists may work exclusively with a specific age group or a particular disability.
• The median salary for an Occupational Therapist in the US is $61,823.

Some interesting info on the origin of Physical Therapy in the US….

The first PT Association was formed in 1921 in the United States called the American Womens Physical Therapeutic Association and included 274 members.

By the end of he 1930s, the Association changed its name to the American Physiotherapy Association and at this time, men were allowed to join. This brought the membership up to a beaming 1,000.

The Polio Epidemic of the 40’s and 50’s brought a great demand to Physical Therapists and the PT Association grew to an astronomical 8,000 members. This in turn increased the number of PT educational programs to 39 throughout the US. It was also during this time that the Association changed it’s name to what is now known as the American Physical Therapy Association.

By the 1960s, the APTA increased to 15,000 members and over 50 educational programs in the US. The headquarters moved from NYC to Alexandria Virginia (and still stands there today). It is considered one of the most rapidly-growing therapy careers in the US.

As exciting it is to be a traveling therapist, there are steps that should be considered as you embark on your therapy assignment. Here, you will find some recommended actions that may help reduce the stress of traveling and make your therapist job as enjoyable as possible:

• Keep your Travel Recruiter handy at all times should any problems occur. They are a great source of guidance and can help you with any situation that may arise with your assignment, housing, benefits, etc.
• Make sure you ask whether or not your hours are guaranteed before you sign a contract. Will you be paid due to low census? Each therapy job is different and it’s best to know what is and is not guaranteed.
• Thoroughly review your benefits. Many suggest taking private insurance if you plan on taking assignments through different companies. Also determine when the benefits you do receive are in effect as it may not be immediately.
• Know the information on state licensure. The processing time for licenses vary from each state. Many do offer temporary licenses which make it easier however, it’s best to check with the Travel Job Company you are working with to determine what’s involved.
• Handling Utilities on your housing is an important factor. Many recruiters will provide you with the numbers you need to call for you to set up your utilities, whereas some Travel Therapy Companies handle the set up of all your services prior to your arrival. Make sure to ask before you leave.
• Consider speaking to an accountant about taxes and traveling. The percentage of state income tax (if the state even has it) may influence whether or not you take the assignment. 
• Ask others in the industry how they are doing and any other questions you may have such as specific facilities you are considering, locations, travel therapy job companies, etc.

So I’ve been getting alot of questions about what it is that we actually do here at Travel Rehab…let me try and explain.  Yes, there are alot of jobs out there, and there are alot of companies that have the same jobs out there – so Travel Rehab puts clinicians in a situation where they can literally just browse whats available and not have to get 50 calls from 50 different recruiters to hear about the 3 jobs that actually meet the specific requirements the clinician has for a job.  Then, the way it used to be, is after the clinician talked to the 50 recruiters, he/she would find out that all three jobs want someone to start on Monday.  Well, the clinician isn’t looking to start for 6 weeks.

This 6 week gap is the problem.  The facility needs someone and really can’t afford to go without coverage at all for 6 weeks.  So where are the jobs going to be in 6 weeks?  Call or email Travel Rehab and we can tell you exactly that…this is what we do here! 

Travel Rehab is a very powerful tool and will give clinicians more and better options while also giving facilities less gaps in their coverage.  That is why we have so many clinicians on our site!  Bryan M.