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Most locum tenens physicians are independent contractors. Agencies handle credentialing, travel and malpractice for the assignment. Health insurance is on you, and the obvious choice is not always the right one.
Most locum physicians are 1099 independent contractors, so they buy their own health insurance. Physician income is almost always above the 2027 subsidy line, so a Marketplace plan means full price. For healthy physicians who work in several states, a private plan built on a nationwide PPO network is worth pricing next to full-price Marketplace coverage. Some agencies also offer access to group coverage through a professional employer organization.
About 56,000 physicians work locum tenens assignments in a given year, according to industry estimates for 2025, roughly 7% to 8% of U.S. physicians. Many combine locums with a part-time employed role, which changes the answer: if your other job offers you affordable coverage, that offer usually comes first.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Private plan on a nationwide PPO network | Healthy physicians working in several states | Health questions; possible exclusions; read the benefit limits |
| Full-price Marketplace plan | Physicians with a condition to cover, or a family with ongoing care | Price, and local HMO or EPO networks in many states |
| Agency or PEO group access | Physicians who work mostly through one agency | Eligibility rules, and what happens if you change agencies |
| Spouse's employer plan | Households where the spouse has strong benefits | Network reach where you take assignments |
Self-employed physicians can generally deduct health premiums for themselves, a spouse and dependents through the self-employed health insurance deduction, limited to net profit and unavailable for any month you were eligible for an employer-subsidized plan, including through a spouse or a part-time employed role. Physicians who run locums through an S corporation follow a different path; see S corp owner health insurance.
An employed physician job usually comes with group disability and life insurance. A locums contract does not. For a physician, losing the ability to practice is the largest financial risk, so own-occupation disability insurance and term life insurance deserve the same attention as the health plan. We can quote both alongside your health coverage.
Self-employed and 1099 income is counted after expenses. Our free calculator shows which side of the 400% line you land on in about a minute, with results right away and no sign-up.
Usually not as a traditional employee benefit, because most locum physicians are independent contractors. Some agencies offer access to group coverage through a professional employer organization, with their own eligibility rules.
Rarely, because physician income is usually well above the 2027 line of $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four. Above the line, Marketplace plans are full price.
For healthy physicians who work in several states, a private plan on a nationwide PPO network is worth comparing with a full-price Marketplace plan; which one wins depends on price and on what each plan covers. For physicians with health conditions, a full-price Marketplace plan or a spouse's employer plan is usually safer.
Checked October 14, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm before you act.
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