Advertising, Fee Splitting, and Professional Boundaries
Advertising, Fee Splitting, and Professional Boundaries
This domain tests business conduct that can become unprofessional conduct.
Core rules
- Advertising must be truthful, not misleading, and free of guarantees, unsubstantiated superiority claims, or statements likely to create false expectations.
- A chiropractor may advertise discounts and services, but the ad must not misstate the service, credentials, or expected outcome.
- Fee splitting for patient referrals with unlicensed persons is prohibited. Paying a percentage of a chiropractic fee to a marketer, employer, or referral source as a reward for referrals is high-risk and generally improper.
- Professional boundaries require that sexual contact with patients, exploitation, and boundary violations be avoided; even apparent consent does not cure the professional problem.
- Business arrangements must not compromise clinical judgment.
Worked example
A clinic wants to pay a massage therapist 20 percent of every chiropractic adjustment referred by the therapist. The arrangement is a referral fee, not payment for separate massage services. It should not be structured as a percentage of the chiropractic fee. A compliant arrangement pays fair market value for distinct services and separates rent or employment from patient referrals.
Traps
Do not assume a disclaimer makes a guarantee acceptable. Do not call a referral fee a 'marketing fee' if it is tied to patient volume. Do not treat a patient's consent as a defense to sexual contact. Do not let a non-clinician dictate treatment frequency.