Per Diem Staffing Costs: How Long-Term Care Facilities Can Take Back Control
Long-term care leaders make dozens of staffing decisions every week. Some are planned well in advance, while others happen before the first cup of coffee is finished.
Either way, the shift gets covered. You make sure of it, because your residents and your team are counting on you.
But in the rush to fill the schedule, one question rarely gets asked: what is that coverage really costing you?
What if you could fill those same per diem shifts for $5-$8 less per hour, spend less time coordinating them, and have more control over where your staffing dollars go?
That's what a new generation of staffing technology is making possible.
W-2 Agency vs. 1099 Per Diem Staffing Costs: What Could Your Facility Save?
Per diem staffing costs can vary widely depending on the model you use.
Traditional W-2 staffing agencies play an important role in healthcare, and their rates reflect more than the professional who works the shift. Their pricing can account for recruiting, employment costs, credentialing, payroll, workers' compensation, account management, and other services.
CareEvo Connect uses a different model.
Facilities post open per diem shifts on our platform, and credentialed independent CNAs, LPNs, and RNs see and book them directly – no phone tag or waiting on callbacks.
That difference in staffing model can mean lower hourly rates, often $5–$8 less than traditional W-2 agency staffing for comparable per diem coverage.
And when you're filling a lot of hours, that difference can add up quickly:
One 12-hour shift: $60–$96
Ten 12-hour shifts in a week: $600–$960
Ten 12-hour shifts every week for a year: $31,200–$49,920
These examples compare CareEvo with traditional W-2 agency rates at a $5–$8 hourly difference. Your own numbers will depend on your volume, shift lengths, roles, market, and current rates. If you're already using another 1099 staffing platform or marketplace, the difference may be smaller.
Either way, the best way to know what CareEvo Connect could save your facility is to compare your actual rates. (There's a quick way to start at the end.)
Beyond the Rate: What CareEvo Connect Brings to Every Shift
Whether you're comparing us to a W-2 agency or another 1099 platform, rate is only part of the picture, and any savings only matter if there's no catch. Here's what you can count on with CareEvo Connect.
You control the rate: You pay one flat rate. If a hard-to-fill shift needs a boost, you choose one of three surge levels and decide when to use it. No algorithm changes your rate behind the scenes.
No hidden costs: There’s no subscription fees or minimum shift commitments. You pay only when a shift is worked.
Experienced, verified professionals: Every independent nursing professional is credentialed and verified before approval and has at least six months of healthcare experience.
No fee to hire: If a professional turns out to be a great fit, you can hire them directly with no conversion or hiring fees. Every shift doubles as a working interview.
You Don't Have to Replace Your Existing Staffing Partners
If you have staffing partners you trust, keep them. If they’ve been there when you needed them, that relationship has value.
CareEvo Connect is another option for the moments when it makes sense — a last-minute call-off, a census swing, a weekend gap, or simply a shift where you'd like to see what a different model can offer. You don't need one model for every situation. Use the resource that fits the shift in front of you.
What Could You Do with More Room in Your Staffing Budget?
Saving money on per diem staffing isn't just about a smaller invoice. It's about what the difference makes possible:
Hitting your labor budget: Staying on target for labor cost per patient day, or keeping a cushion for the next census dip, without cutting somewhere else.
Less overtime for your core team: Savings stretch your per diem dollars further, so you can cover a gap instead of asking your best people to stay another shift.
Recognizing the people who step up: Weekend differentials, pickup bonuses, or simple recognition for the staff who keep saying yes.
Investing in training: Dementia care, skills check-offs, or continuing education for nurses who are ready to grow.
Building your permanent team: Referral bonuses or sign-on incentives that turn short-term coverage into long-term staff.
The impact doesn't have to be dramatic to matter, either. Even a few hundred dollars saved each week can add up to thousands over the course of a year.
Spending less is the first win. Putting the difference back into your team and your residents is the bigger one.
How Per Diem Staffing with CareEvo Connect Works
Sign your facility agreement. Interested in partnering with CareEvo Connect? Fill out our quick inquiry form, and one of our Sales Executives will reach out to walk you through the agreement.
Get set up and meet your account manager. We walk you through platform setup and connect you with a dedicated account manager, your single point of contact for day-to-day support.
Post your open shifts. Add your CNA, LPN, and RN needs directly to the CareEvo Connect platform.
Professionals book themselves. Credentialed, independent nursing professionals see available shifts and book the opportunities that fit their schedules.
When we enter a new area, we actively recruit qualified and experienced professionals nearby, so the local network can grow alongside facility demand.
Run the Numbers for Your Facility
You don't need a complicated analysis to see whether a different staffing model is worth exploring.
If you use a traditional W-2 agency, pull last month's total agency per diem hours.
Take that number and multiply it by $5–$8. That's roughly what the difference could have meant last month.
Multiply it by 12 for a yearly estimate.
Or, if you already use a 1099 platform, set your current rates side by side with ours.
Maybe the number is smaller than you expected. Maybe it's much bigger. Either way, it's information you can use.
That’s really what CareEvo Connect is about...
Giving you more options, more visibility, and more control over the staffing dollars you’re already spending. Because filling the shift is important. But finding the smartest way to fill it?
That's worth looking at, too.