50 mile rule/Kaiser contract pay

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Hello,

I'm toying with the idea of picking up local travel contracts. I was offered a contract for a Kaiser that's 77 miles away from where I currently live for 1855 net/week. My recruiter also offered the same pay for a closer kaiser that's only 30 miles away. I asked about the 50 mile rule, and he said there is no set number, and if I book lodging near the hospital I would be covered (this wouldn't be a problem). Is this true?

Also, $1855/week seems somewhat low for Kaiser. Is this pay reasonable? I make 2700 biweekly as staff. I am looking to maximize my income and get a change of scenery prior to starting anesthesia school this fall though!

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So a lot of agencies have access to Kaiser assignments. Shop around for best pay. Kaiser pays differently in Northern and Southern California and for different specialties so if someone reports something they were paid on assignment, you still must figure out these other variables impacting pay including agency, specialty, location, and when (sometimes crisis rates apply to certain specialties).

There is no IRS 50 mile rule (except for moving expense deductibility). The relevant rule is that if to work safely you must spend the night, that is an allowable expense (or may be reimbursed tax-free by the agency). If you only rent a hotel room by the night and go home, you must keep receipts, subtract your actual expenses from the housing stipend received, and declare the balance of the stipend as income on your tax return. The same applies for M&IE (per diems).

If you do meet the requirements for "tax free" housing (you are not commuting from home), renting housing by the month will relieve you of the hassle of extra taxes on your return and likely to be lower cost as well, especially if you snag a houseshare. Per diems will still need to be prorated or compared with your mileage expenses if you return home frequently.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Mother/baby, PCU, Rehab.

I just started traveling locally in Kentucky back in September. According to my recruiter the 50 mile rule pertains to the housing stipend and per diem. If you travel 50 miles or more to a travel assignment then the housing stipend and per diem are tax free.

I am now on my second assignment and decided to accept an assignment closer to home due to a need to spend more time with my family before a military deployment. Because I am inside 50 miles they were able to shift some of my per diem and housing allowance to my hourly rate so that I can at least benefit from any overtime by having a higher hourly rate.

I hope this helps some. Good luck!

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There is no 50 mile rule. If you commute from home, you are no more entitled to tax-free benefits than any other local worker. Agencies can have internal rules that allow them to pay you that way, but they are not going to be present during your audit. Your recruiter is not qualified to give you tax advice, even if he actually does know the rules (this one sounds as if he is only parroting what someone else at his agency said), as he gets a commission only if you take assignments.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Thanks for the response. If I'm given the offer for an assignment, would it be bad etiquette to request an additional amount (2k/week-the intitial amount that I requested)?

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You can always ask. However, you are better off getting competitive quotes before you are submitted.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Again, thanks. Just out of curiosity, if I don't like the contract they give me, am I obligated to sign it? Will I be blacklisted if I don't sign it?

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Did you already interview? If so, you may not be able to work for Kaiser with another agency for some period of time. You can call American Mobile (the vendor manager) about the rules. Either way, I've never heard of a contract you had to sign. Free country and all that.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

I didn't interview. The recruiter forwarded my resume to Kaiser and they accepted it. No interview necessary. They're going to show me the contract tomorrow.

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No interview? That is totally weird. You are supposed to have done an online written interview.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Nope. Just and EKG test, and I was told they liked my resume so no interview necessary. So I'm not sure what they're doing. Is that weird? I just have a bad feeling about this contractsincr they're offering me the housing stipend so close to my tax home, haha. I also got offered a better contract(no floating, more $) from a different company 85 miles away so I would be more protected with the housing stipend since I would actually get a motel.

I don't care about American mobile, I just want to be able to work with Kaiser as a CRNA when I'm done with school. Do you think bailing on this contract would affect that? Thanks for all your help btw.

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No, it will not impact you later as a CRNA.

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