San Diego Medical and Healthcare Business Attorneys
Are you starting a new medical practice in San Diego or Southern California? The experienced healthcare and medical practice attorneys at the Watkins Firm have decades of expertise in the formation of medical, dental, nursing or healthcare entities and supporting them through each phase of operations and growth.
This is an exciting time in your professional career. It’s also one of the most challenging times in history for healthcare and the practice of medicine. Costs must be carefully managed while ensuring full compliance with substantial federal, state and local laws and ordinances.
The Watkins Firm has served the San Diego and Southern California medical and healthcare community for decades. You can do this, and we can help.
California Professional Corporation – The Entity for a Medical Practice
Forming a new medical practice begins with the selection of the appropriate business entity or healthcare joint venture. A new practice could be either a sole proprietorship or a partnership of some sort. However, the legal and personal exposures of these entities are not in the best interests of a licensed medical or healthcare professional.
The California Professional Corporation or “PC” provides several advantages to physicians and medical professionals. A California Professional Corporation provides extensive protections which are not available under an LLC, S-Corporation or C-Corporation.
For example, the actual legal structure of a PC ensures that individual practitioners are held separate from one another so that no one is held liable for the malpractice or negligence of another physician or licensed professional.
The California PC also offers many valuable benefits such as the ability to increase the amount of contributions to retirement vehicles such as a 401(k) as well as tax deductions unavailable to other corporate structures for health, disability and life insurance as well as dependent care.
The Management Services Organization or MSO
If you are starting a new medical practice in San Diego or anywhere in California you will want to discuss the option of a Management Services Organization or MSO. The MSO is a separate corporate entity that works hand-in-hand with your Professional Corporation. The MSO usually handles most or all of the non-medical aspects of operating a medical practice. This not only increases the effectiveness and profitability of your practice, it improves the patient experience and associated scoring.
Medical Business and Employment Contracts
Starting a new medical practice in San Diego will require employment contracts for physicians, nurses, medical technicians and other employees, as well as extensive policies and procedures and employee handbooks which protect the practice and ensure compliance with all federal, state and local laws.
Additional Medical and Healthcare Content You Might Find Helpful
If you are forming a new medical practice or healthcare entity, ophthalmology group or center, or joint venture the experienced business formation attorneys at the Watkins Firm can help you select the appropriate entity and inform you of the advantages of the California Professional Corporation. If you are already an operational entity you may need to learn about staffing and employer defense, physician and medical professional contracts, governance and regulatory compliance or the development of a compliance plan. Our experienced healthcare law attorneys also resolve healthcare related disputes and lawsuits in a timely and cost effective manner and represent clients in arbitration or mediation.
Medical and Professional License Defense:
California Professional License Defense Attorneys
The Process of a California Professional License Defense
Physician and Nursing License Defense Attorney
California Licensed Professional Alcohol and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues
Medical and Healthcare License Reinstatement
Governance and Regulatory Compliance
The Watkins Firm provides sound advice and counsel when starting a new medical practice in San Diego including corporate governance and compliance strategies. Your new practice must maintain compliance with a host of complex federal, state and local laws and regulations including, but not limited to:
Medicare and Medi-Cal Billing Practices- HIPPA
- Stark Law
- OSHA and Cal/OSHA
- Sarbanes-Oxley
We understand the primary nature of proper coding and insurance documentation and help to establish procedures and practices that prevent fraudulent practices by one of your business partners or an employee.
We have extensive experience across decades with healthcare business and the extensive regulatory compliance issues unique to California and San Diego. We provide ongoing general business counsel to keep you updated on employment law developments and represent you and your practice in many business related disputes.
We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.