Bill > HR1160

This bill addresses physician and advanced care practitioner workforce shortages by clarifying their tax and employment status. Specifically, the bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish that locum tenens physicians and advanced care practitioners (temporary medical professionals who fill short-term staffing needs) will be treated as independent contractors rather than employees. Under the proposed legislation, when these professionals provide temporary medical services for up to one continuous year at a specific service site, they will not be classified as employees, and neither the facilities hiring them nor the agencies contracting with them will be considered employers. The bill defines "qualified locum tenens physicians or advanced care practitioners" as licensed medical professionals including doctors of medicine, dentistry, podiatry, optometry, and other recognized medical practitioners like nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. These professionals must work under a written contract that explicitly states they are not to be treated as employees for tax purposes. The goal of this legislation is to make it easier for medical facilities, especially in underserved areas, to quickly hire temporary medical professionals without complex employment obligations, thereby helping to address physician and advanced care practitioner shortages across the United States.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1160/all-info