Finding a 100% remote position where I can live abroad

[FuturePA0101]

Does anyone have any experience with a 100% work from home/remote position? 

I would like to move abroad to a fairly developed country with good internet connection and use a VPN. For cultural and financial reasons.  I would still maintain an address in the US.

Basically how often did you actually have to show up to a physical location while you were working from home for meetings etc. 

[kettle]

Many positions that are "remote" mandate living in and connecting to internet within the US

[EMEDPA]

Look into positions in Portugal. They are making it very attractive for Americans to live there and work remotely. 

[Reality Check 2]

But US Medical Licenses require that you live on US Soil.

The VA and other govt agencies don't let us work across national borders by phone or video.

So do many others. You must be in the US - 

Maybe US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico could work.

I do not think you can work for an American company and live in another country.

I would go to Portugal in a heartbeat but would probably retire or work in a grocery store.

 

[EMEDPA]

21 minutes ago, Reality Check 2 said:

 

I would go to Portugal in a heartbeat but would probably retire or work in a grocery store.

 

https://getgoldenvisa.com/buying-property-in-portugal

[iconic]

I don't know where people are getting that a US medical license requires one to live in the US. I hold a few licenses and have never seen such a stipulation. I've heard it could be a medicaid or medicare requirement but have not looked into it personally. 

[sas5814]

2 hours ago, iconic said:

I don't know where people are getting that a US medical license requires one to live in the US. I hold a few licenses and have never seen such a stipulation. I've heard it could be a medicaid or medicare requirement but have not looked into it personally. 

I think it might be better describes as a residency requirement to practice rather than to have a license. It will, as always, vary across states because those are the laws that mostly would apply. Medicare and Medicaid make their own rules as do insurance companies.

I wouldn't say it can't be done. I'd say it will probably be very difficult with a lot of encumbrances.

[Reality Check 2]

Wheel | Guide to Practicing Telemedicine While Living Abroad

Try this site. It has some gems about how it works but it is also a company, I believe, who sets up providers.

It does all boil down to what state you have a license in and what their rules are AND what state the patient is in.

I have seen 3 providers lose their licenses for telehealth across state lines due to licensing issues.

Don't trust anyone to figure it out in detail except yourself. Losing your license is not worth that.

[Reality Check 2]

Licensing across state lines | Telehealth.HHS.gov

Summary of International Telemedicine Guidelines (telementalhealthtraining.com) - THIS SITE IS A BUSINESS

Can I Do Telemedicine From Abroad? - Digital Nomad Physicians

 

I do not attest to the validity of any of these sites except .gov

 

[Reality Check 2]

And don't forget the whole Supervising/Collaborating Physician thing.

Doc has to be licensed in same state and specialty and agree to terms.

Yes, again the word "assistant" and the lack of autonomy is killing us.............

[Patho]

A friend of my does C&P ACE exams for veterans which is 100% remote and often worked from the Caribbean, you just need reliable internet access. Maybe worth looking into. I also do C&P on the side and hoping to get approve for ACE exams soon.

[johnnykage]

1 minute ago, Patho said:

A friend of my does C&P ACE exams for veterans which is 100% remote and often worked from the Caribbean, you just need reliable internet access. Maybe worth looking into. I also do C&P on the side and hoping to get approve for ACE exams soon.

This is interesting. I'm a vet.

How would one go about getting involved in something like this?

[johnnykage]

Sounds pretty risky from what I'm reading here, but, if you find a way to do it, you will also need to be able to live in that country.

For this, I recommend analyzing your family history to see if you're eligible for any citizenships by descent (Italian, German, Polish, Austrian, Spanish, etc.). That would resolve that issue in a reasonably cheap way.

[Patho]

1 hour ago, johnnykage said:

This is interesting. I'm a vet.

How would one go about getting involved in something like this?

I found my company Arisa Medical thru indeed but if you google C&P examiner near me on google you’ll see them pop up, then you can contact them or see if they have any jobs in indeed. At least with my company you have to start in the office setting first then be approved for ACE exams.

[mitskistan69]

Following this - also interested in the future. I was thinking I might eventually switch into some clinical research position as I get older and see if it's possible to work remotely abroad this way. 

[CornellSPA]

I think there are some great tax advantages to living/working in Puerto Rico? Great weather ---usually! 

[Reality Check 2]

The absolute key to a remote job is to have all the legal and functional questions answered and assume NOTHING.

For the govt, I can work remote - from within the territorial US - including Puerto Rico.

I cannot work from foreign soil. Period. I cannot see patients virtually or via phone who are on foreign soil. Period.

State laws, malpractice, internet - everything has to be considered.

I have seen 3 providers lose their licenses for doing telemedicine from one state to another without having a license in the OTHER state. 

There is no guidebook, there are no hard and fast rules for the majority of private practice or pop up businesses.

The onus is on YOU, the provider, the PA-C to ensure you are functioning legally and within limits and boundaries of your license, your insurance, your company charter and even international law.

It is a murky world of rules and regs and loopholes and absolute craziness.

Enter it with caution.