Chiropractors and medical doctors (or D.O.s) have had a long and somewhat complex relationship.

Though they approach healthcare issues differently, there are many instances where they share care or even work together.  Such “M.D./D.C.” relationships are legally complex, but often prove to be rewarding in many respects.  Properly constructing the arrangements is critical, especially since government regulators and payers tend to view such arrangements with skepticism, alleging that the true reason for the combination is for chiropractors to avoid coverage restrictions.

The core legal issues the parties need to be aware of include:

Corporate practice prohibitions. Most states prohibit (or regulate) who can own a medical practice or a chiropractic practice.  So called “corporate practice restrictions” for instance often prohibit a medical doctor and a chiropractor from jointly owning a clinical practice. Additionally, many states do not permit a chiropractor employing a medical doctor and vice versa.  That leaves essentially two models for consideration—a direct employment model and a management type of model.

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