Locum Tenens and Nurse tirage service policy

Use of Nurse Triage Service

If a physician uses a nurse triage service for telephone screening after hours, the physician must instruct the nursing staff to identify themselves as nurses covering for a physician. The nurse should also communicate to members that if they are in an emergency situation, they should hang up and call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. At the completion of the call, the nurse should verify that the members is comfortable with the nurse’s advice and inform the members of his/her right to speak to the covering physician. All physicians used for covering purposes must be licensed as required by law.



Locum Tenens Policy

If coverage will be rendered by a locum tenens provider, the provider must be credentialed by Tufts Health Plan.



Credentialing of Locum Tenens Providers

Locum tenens providers should complete the following documents and forward them to the Tufts Health Plan Credentialing Department:


** Signed and completed Credentialing Application through www.caqh.org

** Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO IPA/PHO endorsement for Locum Tenens Practitioners Form

** Completed and signed W-9 form for tax purposes


Tufts Health Plan’s credentialing staff will:


** Obtain primary verification of appropriate elements

** Collect information from the National Practitioner Databank.