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Independent Contractor and Malpractice-Please help!


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Hey everyone, so I need some advice on a new job offer. I am a NEW GRAD, and I have been offered a home visit job where I would go see the patients in the home, all day every day. The starting salary is 80,000 being that I see 7 patients a day M-F. I would be an independent contractor.

 

There is NO training whatsoever.

 

They said I would have to get my own malpractice insurance and they would reimburse me, but in the contract under indemnification it states that the Contractor agrees to defend, indemnify and hold agency and its affiliates, and its directors offices owners etc harmless against all claims, expenses, costs, fees, litigation from third parties, including agency's customers arising from negligent conduct etc.

 

So, even though I didnt ask how much they would cover for malpractice ins. I am a little concerned being that I am a new grad and I get sued past whatever the malpractice ins is, I am on my own. What do you all think? Especially because I am a new grad and they arent training me at all.

 

 

Any thoughts appreciated, Thanks!

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Without any disrespect: do not accept this contract.

 

There are two general categories of home health practices

 

--- evaluating sick, homebound patients which generally have multiple medical problems. And picking up subtle signs of worsening failure, dementia, anemias, etc, often take a clinician with some experience and expertise. I might suggest, at this point of your career, you have neither... And will be swimming in waters you are not ready for.

 

--- simple Medicare annual certifications, in which a provider visits a disabled Medicare patient to attest that they are still suffering from the illness and are still disabled.. Along with determining CMS required annual hecks ( nylon prick tests for diabetic neuropathy, urine check for microalbuminria, blood pressure measurements, check for retinopathies, etc. this again, tho much less subtle than the above, requires a little acumen, and gets pretty boring after awhile...

 

The standard med-mal amount is 1m/3m.

 

I would urge you to not take these jobs.. Invest your time in a job where you can spend your first 5 years learning the intricacies of this profession.

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I would have to agree with rcdavis on this. I too, am a recent graduate and did an internal med rotation that was both clinic and home health. I thought I would love home health since I had some experience as a nurse aid prior to PA school but I was wrong. A lot of the home health stuff - like rcdavis mentioned - are chronic conditions like renal failure, dementia, anemias, and while these are good learning topics to build your knowledge upon, I found myself frustrated most of the time. The environment just wasn't a good learning condition and dealing with the aids wasn't fun either. I just think as a new grad, you're better off in a FP setting or ER as oppose to a nursing home where you manage their chronic conditions. You couldn't pay me $100k to do those nursing home visits. What state do you live in OP?

 

 

Without any disrespect: do not accept this contract.

 

There are two general categories of home health practices

 

--- evaluating sick, homebound patients which generally have multiple medical problems. And picking up subtle signs of worsening failure, dementia, anemias, etc, often take a clinician with some experience and expertise. I might suggest, at this point of your career, you have neither... And will be swimming in waters you are not ready for.

 

--- simple Medicare annual certifications, in which a provider visits a disabled Medicare patient to attest that they are still suffering from the illness and are still disabled.. Along with determining CMS required annual hecks ( nylon prick tests for diabetic neuropathy, urine check for microalbuminria, blood pressure measurements, check for retinopathies, etc. this again, tho much less subtle than the above, requires a little acumen, and gets pretty boring after awhile...

 

The standard med-mal amount is 1m/3m.

 

I would urge you to not take these jobs.. Invest your time in a job where you can spend your first 5 years learning the intricacies of this profession.

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