Speech Therapists - Insurance Q (OT, PT maybe too)

amother

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 11:32 am

DH will be graduating shortly, and was wondering, where can a Speech Therapist get insurance coverage? He will be working in NY, probably for a center like Yeled V'Yalda, Omni, etc... Do they offer Insurance Coverage? If so, is it something we have to pay for, or do they pay for it?

b from nj

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 1:01 pm

If he works as an independent contractor, then he probably will not get health insurance through them b/c he will just be paid for each patient he treats but as a staff therapist, he will probably be offered a benefits package which will include health insurance. My DH had worked as a staff therapist for Omni many years ago & I'm pretty sure we got insurance through them (probably 1 HMO or another). We may have contributed something from his paycheck towards the insurance premiums but it's too long ago to remember.

Hatzlacha!

b from nj

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 1:42 pm

When you do EI or other kinds of home care you are generally considered an independent contractor where you get paid X amount per patient but if they are sick or away & you don't get to see them, you don't get paid. If you work at a center, you are generally on staff & you may make less $$ per hr but you generally will receive a benefits package & you won't lose out on money when clients cancel.

In the school system, some therapists are on staff & some work through agencies as independent contractors.

amother

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 2:31 pm

Thanks, I wasn't aware places like Omni would have a salary option. Will ask DH about it.

I always dream that I want DH to work in a salaried place, like in a special needs school, etc. so that he gets a steady salary and benefits, vs billing hours. Just wondering how one would go about finding such a position?

b from nj

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 2:39 pm

I might be wrong. It is possible that my DH was an indep contractor there but I'm 95% sure that he was the director of PT there & was a salaried employee of Omni. Mind you, it was not an easy job but then again, I'm not sure where you'll find an easy job except maybe in the public schools but my DH & I have never worked in the PSs so I cannot speak from experience.

BTW, if your DH applied to work for the Board of ed directly, he would get a good benefits package through them as well but not if he works in the PSs through the various agencies or doing RSAs (where yeshiva kids are entitled to private therapy through the Board of ed)..

And of course, he can always look into the hospital settings. They generally do not pay well but it's great experience & usually the benefits are good too.

amother

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 2:42 pm

I am a speech therapist and if I remember correctly, the first year (depending on the amount of hours that you put in) you are called a CFY. A CFY requires supervision and you cannot be an independant contractor until you get your CCC. I did work for Yeled V' Yalda and they offered an insurance package, but it was approximately $1000 a month. The good part was that it comes straight off the paycheck-so taxes are not taken off from that money.

amother

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 4:18 pm

b from nj wrote:

We've spoken about working directly for the board of ed, but the downside is that DH can be placed anywhere in the public school system, and he really doesnt feel too comfy with that (what if he ends up in Harlem somewhere?)

amother

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 4:19 pm

amother wrote:

$1000 a month... SIIIGGGHH welcome to our new expensive life.
Anyway, is it a preferred thing to be an independant contractor? Other than putting in lots of hours, what is so good about going that route?

seeker

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 5:06 pm

Independent contractors can theoretically (you need to do the math based on your potential positions) make more money per hour, and generally have a lot more flexibility regarding where and when they work. A salaried employee has somewhat more job security (if a client cancels, the company will just give you another one, generally), more steady paycheck, doesn't pay self-employment taxes, and can get benefits.

b from nj

Wed, Apr 24 2013, 6:06 pm

amother wrote:

I am also a speech therapist (although I'm currently not working in the field) & when I was doing my CFY (which I did part-time for 18 months after graduating with my MS degree), I was an independent contractor & only got paid for each patient that I worked with so I think you are able to be an independent contractor even as a CFY as I did unless things have changed since I completed my CFY in 1998...

amother

Thu, May 02 2013, 7:40 pm

b from nj wrote:

I got my CCCs earlier this year and was an independent contractor throughout my whole CFY. If you have enough hours, you can make more as an independent contractor as these days, salaried employees usually have to pay in quite a bit in order to get insurance anyway. Just make sure you do your research.