Wiki LOCUM QUESTION

[marak0829]

Hello-

Our regular physician has come back part-time. The Locum is still within the 60 day contract. Once the regular physician returns, can the Locum still continue to see patients part-time?

 

[Orthocoderpgu]

I was waiting for Thomas or Sharon to buzz in on this but since they have not I will let you know what I know. We used a locum but it's been years. A locum is a temp doc that sees the patient because the regular doctor can't. So a locum is a fill in, until the doctor can return. So if your doctor has returned, even if it's part time, they have returned. With my limited experience my guess would be that you would no longer be able to bill for a locum since your doctor has returned. I hope someone with more expertise in this area can get you a better and more complete answer. Thomas? Sharon?

 

[thomas7331]

I agree. A locum tenens provider, by definition, is one who is taking over the physician's practice while he or she is absent. In my opinion, to bill services provided by another physician as locum tenens services when the physician is not actually absent would be fraudulent.

If your practice wishes for this provider to continue seeing patients in the clinic after the regular physician returns, then you should go through the process of enrolling that provider with the payers of the patients who will be seen.

 

[SharonCollachi]

I agree. Locum tenens means "to hold the place of" (to substitute for)... one is in the place of the other. Or as I tell my kid, "if you don't leave, how can I miss you?"