National Association of Locums and Independent Physicians (NALIP) Offers Strength in Numbers

Working as a locum tenens physician offers many advantages. However, employer-subsidized health insurance isn’t one of them. A new association of temporary physicians aims to change that.

The American Action Forum (AAF) reports that, “Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the most common source of health insurance in the United States, covering around 156 million Americans in 2021.”

Based on data from eHealth, the AAF documents ESI’s value as follows:

• Employees value ESI at 75–84% more than employers, and employees together pay for it, generating an annual private value of at least $800 billion.
• After accounting for the tax subsidy, ESI provides an annual net economic benefit to society of at least $600 billion by reducing fiscal pressures on subsidized insurance programs and encouraging work and business formation.
• In total, ESI generates around $1.5 trillion annually in social value beyond what workers, employers, and taxpayers pay for it, or nearly $10,000 per insured individual.

This valuable employee benefit is, in large part, what motivated critical care locum tenens physician Dr. Stephanie Freeman to found the National Association of Locums and Independent Physicians (NALIP). “It’s a big reason people stay burned out in bad jobs,” she says.

Breaking Down Barriers

Having worked as a locums physician since 2008, Dr. Freeman wanted other physicians to experience the freedom and flexibility she enjoys through the independent work style. However, in talking to colleagues, she discovered that the perceived inability to obtain quality health insurance at a competitive rate is the main barrier to doctors’ pursuing locum tenens medical practice.

Locum tenens physicians (or advanced clinical practitioners) are responsible for obtaining their own benefits like medical, life, and disability insurance. “Because these products are costly if obtained by an individual, many physicians find themselves unable to qualify for, or afford, these products for themselves and their families,” Dr. Freeman says.

Realizing there’s strength in numbers, she took advantage of downtime while on locum tenens assignments during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and began researching how to make these essential benefits more affordable and accessible.

Remaining Fiercely Independent

The board-certified critical care physician has done it pretty much alone over the past two years: “I bootstrapped everything,” Dr. Freeman says. “I funded it myself and, without any real staff, made my concept a reality.”

Meanwhile, she worked locum tenens assignments in locations from Alaska to Florida, with Indiana in between.

She shares that she learned her work ethic from her single mom, a teacher who “always had extra jobs” to support Dr. Freeman and her brother. “Following in my mom’s footsteps, I started working at age 11,” she says,

As a doctor, she started ‘moonlighting’ through contract assignments to supplement her income. She stopped at a CompHealth booth during a conference and decided to try locum tenens. “Following my first assignment in Pikeville, Kentucky, I was hooked,” Dr. Freeman says, noting that during the COVID-19 lockdown, she literally had a commercial flight all to herself.

Getting It Off the Ground

According to the NALIP’s website, the professional association “was born with the purpose of exhibiting strength in numbers as we provide competitive insurance resources for locums and independent physicians (medical practice owners, moonlighting physicians, or any physician receiving 1099 pay).

“Additionally, we offer support, education, and networking through our online job board, virtual and live events, online community, and a series of educational courses.”

Perhaps the best part: NALIP membership is also affordable at only $19.99 per month. Dr. Freeman says she’s getting 1-2 physicians a day to join so far, to have 1,000 members within six to eight months. Because membership is so affordable, many locums and independent physicians are paying for the whole year when they join, but there’s no additional cost for paying by the month.

Noting that the NALIP is a (soon-to-be) non-profit organization, Dr. Freeman concludes, “We really want to be of service to locum and independent physicians.”