David Morrison
|
This month's column stems from a question a reader asked about government-based contracts a few months back. At the time,
I had never heard of government-based contracts and didn't know of any staffing companies that offered them. Since then, with
a little investigative work, I was able to learn a lot more.
Brad Hilton, manager of government services at of Medical Solutions, writes that "Federal facilities can be defined in three
categories: (1) VA (Veterans Health Administration) hospitals and clinics; (2) Military and DOD (Department of Defense) facilities,
such as Army, Navy, and Air Force hospitals; and (3) Indian Health Service facilities." He notes that most of his company's
government openings over the past year were in VA hospitals and Indian Health Service facilities.
The benefits
I corresponded with representatives from several staffing companies during my research for this article and found that most
government contracts are similar to conventional travel contracts in regard to their pay rate. So if they are about the same
as any other assignment, why take a government contract? One answer may be that government contracts can sometimes be structured
for longer periods. Many travelers like to stay in a location for longer than the length of one assignment; not everyone likes to pack up all
their stuff and move every three months. Government contracts often state upfront whether there would be a possibility of
an extension. And while most conventional travel contracts last 13 weeks, some government contracts—especially overseas opportunities—may
have an initial term of six months to a year.
Going abroad
Regarding overseas assignments, Daniel Matus, manager of the government division at Cirrus Medical Staffing, says that there
are a number of days that the traveler can work and not be considered a "resident"—which may give you the benefit of tax-free
wages! This is specific to each country, and Matus stresses that there are only a certain number of days that this may be
done before your income would be taxed.
Most of us who currently travel and participate in our companies' tax-advantage program are familiar with the rules when it
comes to staying in one location for more than a year. The regulations regarding work overseas may be seen as similar to these
stipulations. Of course, as is always the case with tax issues, you should consult with a qualified adviser to avoid going
astray of tax authorities.
Other considerations
Another benefit of government work is that you may not have to obtain an additional nursing license for the state in which
you will be working. Kisha Waltzer, client partnerships and administration manager at RN Network, confirms, "For the majority
of the federal government opportunities, any unrestricted state license will work." True, most travel companies will pick
up the cost of obtaining new licenses, but as all travelers can appreciate, the ease of moving to different facilities without
having to manage different licensure is a very attractive option.
As you can anticipate with any government program, there are some additional requirements, which we will look at in next month's
column. Until then, if you wish to start exploring the world of government contract work, many of the advertisers in this
publication offer this type of work. Contact one of them or your staffing company to see if a government assignment might
be right for you.
ModernMedicine NETWORK
TOOLS
For a primer on accepting government contracts, go to http://healthcaretraveler.com/gov.
COMMUNITY
The number of available travel assignments may be down from last year, but experienced travelers still have much to look
forward to, according to David Morrison, RN. Go to http://healthcaretraveler.com/experienced to find out more.
Take the company provided housing or take a housing stipend? Jeff Long describes how to find your next housing on 
