Our company has recently seen an increase in ketamine clinic customers at home and abroad (including ketamine clinic buyers engaged in mergers and acquisitions, see Here with Here). In these two camps, certain questions about starting, operating, and managing ketamine clinic businesses in various states continue to arise.It’s very clear that many people don’t understand that going deep into ketamine clinics actually means complying with countless existing health care regulations and laws at the state and federal levels in the United States, which is interspersed with a large number of court cases, administrative decisions, and the opinions of the state attorney general. Regulatory standards (indeed, well thought out Compliance plan Is the key to these clinics). When people hear about ketamine clinics, they often think they are dealing with an emerging psychedelic in the health and wellness market. Nevertheless, although the use of ketamine to treat mental health problems is definitely an emerging field in the medical field, its position in the field of health care supervision has been established, and non-compliance with the corresponding regulations will have serious consequences.

In turn, here are the top 6 problems we encountered recently at the ketamine clinic:

1. Isn’t the regulation of ketamine clinics the same as adult use/medicinal cannabis businesses? No, this is not right. In fact, the federal government and state governments treat the two very differently. According to the Federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is an illegal Schedule I controlled substance, while ketamine belongs to Schedule III. Marijuana cannot be prescribed legally by doctors; doctors can only “recommend” its use to patients in accordance with the laws of individual states, which determine who is eligible for use as patients. Ketamine can be prescribed legally, and it is usually used as a surgical anesthetic, even if it is actually a hallucinogen (a ketamine infusion for mental health disorders constitutes”Close tab“Uses, this is a mature field in healthcare). Cannabis faces a complete lack of financial institutions and opportunities for IRC 280E, while ketamine certainly does not. Cannabis is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and federal health care laws generally do not Applies to state-licensed cannabis businesses. Ketamine clinics, depending on patient agreements and many other operational factors, are subject to countless federal and state healthcare laws (including HIPAA) discussed below. However, what cannabis businesses and ketamine clinics have in common It’s that state regulations specify who can own these businesses, how they must operate, and what licenses they must obtain to open the doors. That’s all.
2. Can anyone own and operate a ketamine clinic? The answer depends on state law.We’ve written about the tricky questions of corporate medical practice before (especially in California) (“CPOM”) and how CPOM stipulates that only doctors can become shareholders of professional companies that practice medicine. Injecting ketamine intravenously, orally or nasally (with esketamine) is a medical practice that requires a doctor’s supervision.In CPOM State, only “professional” business entities owned by doctors and/or other listed and licensed healthcare providers can have ownership of their business that manages ketamine treatment, and unlicensed persons cannot invest in or own the business of these entities Ownership (where is this MSO/Friendly PC modeI played). However, there are other states, such as Florida, where unlicensed individuals and businesses can have ownership of medical practices because there are no CPOM restrictions (although there may be other requirements, such as Florida, requiring additional permits from the state government) If the non-physician has an ownership interest in medical practice). Other states like Arizona have established a form of CPOM through case law, but it is not as radical as the statutory CPOM in other states.
3. How can a managed service organization (“MSO”) and a “professional” business entity (“PC”) conduct business together under CPOM? Very carefully is the answer here. The most aggressive CPOM status we have seen so far may be New York, where recent court cases have indeed narrowed down what MSOs can do on the PC side (including prohibiting the holding or access to any bank account on MSO’s personal computers). Usually, despite being in the CPOM state, the setting is that the MSO provides non-medical services to the PC through the Management Service Agreement (“MSA”). In MSA, when it comes to clinical decision-making and patient care management, the MSO needs to avoid taking over or assisting the PC in any way, which is entirely the responsibility of the PC. In fact, the job of the MSO should only assist the PC in handling management tasks and problems, and it can also provide certain resources and assets to the PC without violating the CPOM. Some typical examples of MSO services include the provision of real estate for clinic space, equipment, administrative staffing, IT systems and support, tax management, budgeting and maintenance, and permit maintenance.
4. How does MSO make money through MSA? Obviously, the MSO is entitled to compensation for services provided under the MSA. At the same time, certain forms of consideration will violate CPOM and may also violate other existing state and federal expense sharing laws. In some states, any form of cost sharing is completely prohibited, while in other states it is allowed, but capacity is limited. In any case, federal and state health care laws require that consideration must be “fair.” The market value of the services provided”, so the astronomical inflation of sweetheart transactions and/or service fees is also a big no-no.
5. Do ketamine clinics buy insurance? Yes they can. Although many people still pay for themselves, there are two main reasons: 1. There may not be enough clinical evidence that ketamine is effective for certain types of pain relief, so insurance companies treat it as experimental and will not pay for it; 2. As long as the patient is willing to pay and the need exists, better business decisions may still be at their own expense (to avoid administrative troubles and payment delays that usually accompany insurance). When it comes to private or government insurance, the clinic will face compliance with state and federal Stark and anti-kickback laws and regulations, and violations of these laws and regulations will result in civil and criminal penalties.
6. What license do I need to operate a ketamine clinic? Again, this depends entirely on state legal requirements, as well as on the services provided by the clinic and the patient agreement established by the supervising doctor.There is no doubt that doctors need a DEA license to prescribe and administer ketamine, but clinics may also need their own DEA license and/or registration (see Here) Used for medication storage and/or additional and/or multiple state clinic licenses, ranging from outpatient medications to general healthcare facilities.

Ketamine clinics are in their own way because Off-label nature of treatment And specific Types of liabilities Related to this. But at the same time, ketamine clinics must still comply with existing health care regulations that affect any medical practice, so doctors, licensed health care providers, and non-professionals who want to take risks in this field need to truly understand the health care cooperation of the country and region. Regularity. Federal laws before entering the market.