Running a functional medicine practice requires more than a passion for health and wellness. Between multi-state telemedicine rules, varied practitioner credentials, HIPAA requirements, FDA and non-FDA-approved therapies, partnership structures, marketing compliance, and the ever-shifting regulatory climate, even a highly skilled clinician can feel overwhelmed.
This is where a functional medicine lawyer can help. Rather than dealing with uncertainty, guesswork, or outdated information, you can rely on a legal expert who understands both healthcare law and the integrative, functional, and wellness space.
Functional Lawyer was built for this exact purpose—giving practitioners the clarity, protection, and confidence they need to run a thriving practice. Let’s explore how our comprehensive support system helps ensure your practice is legally sound from day one.
A Functional Medicine Practice Is More Complex Than Your Typical Health Clinic
Functional medicine is a rapidly growing field in which practitioners offer a wide range of services: lifestyle counseling, hormone therapy, peptide therapy, IV therapy, regenerative medicine, telemedicine, remote monitoring, and other advanced treatments. The challenge? Every service you provide interacts with a different part of the legal system.
Practitioner credentials (MD, DO, ND, DC, NP, PA, RN, health coach, nutritionist, and more) each have their own scope-of-practice limitations. Marketing claims must comply with Google and FTC regulations. Patient privacy must follow HIPAA. Non-FDA-approved therapies need careful framing and documentation. Telemedicine laws vary by state and change frequently. And if you treat patients across state lines, the complexity multiplies.
Trying to navigate this alone is risky—not only for your practice, but also for your license.
A good functional medicine lawyer stays on top of these issues so you can focus on what you do best: caring for patients.
What Functional Lawyer Covers
Functional Lawyer, led by attorney and functional medicine advocate Scott Rattigan, provides a complete legal ecosystem built specifically for functional and integrative medicine providers. Each section of the membership addresses a major area of practice law.
Starting Your Practice
Launching a functional medicine practice goes far beyond filing a few documents. You must choose the correct business structure, decide whether you need a physician as a partner or collaborator, set up compliant intake forms, determine how to price and structure your services, and differentiate between medical and non-medical offerings.
Functional Lawyer guides you through:
- Entity formation
- Ownership structures
- Scope-of-practice considerations
- Patient agreements and consents
- Disclaimers and website terms
- Creating compliant packages, memberships, and programs
Instead of guessing what’s allowed, members get clear guidance on how to build a practice that is protected from day one.
Telemedicine Law
Telemedicine is central to modern functional medicine—but it is also one of the most regulated areas in healthcare.
Each state has its own rules on:
- Establishing a doctor–patient relationship
- Prescribing via telehealth
- Consent requirements
- Follow-up care
- Licensing and multi-state practice
- Online treatments and asynchronous visits
Functional Lawyer breaks it all down clearly, helping you understand what you can and cannot do depending on your credentials and the states you practice in. Regular updates keep you compliant as laws evolve.
Practice Essentials
Once your practice is open, day-to-day legal needs appear quickly. Functional Lawyer offers ongoing support for the nuts and bolts of healthcare operations, such as:
- Consent forms
- Disclaimers
- Office policies
- Membership agreements
- Medical and wellness service differentiation
- Vendor agreements
- Informed consent for non-FDA-approved therapies
With these essentials in place, you can confidently run your practice knowing your documentation is in line with best practices.
HIPAA Made Easy
HIPAA is one of the most misunderstood areas for functional medicine providers. From simple messaging to telehealth platforms to forms stored in email, many clinics unknowingly violate HIPAA without realizing it.
Functional Lawyer helps you understand:
- What is and is not considered PHI
- How to secure your technology
- Which vendors need Business Associate Agreements
- How to prevent common privacy mistakes
- How to train your staff
- How to set up HIPAA-compliant communication and intake
Scott Rattigan’s explanations are written for real-world clinicians—not legal scholars—so you can stay compliant without feeling overwhelmed.
Protecting Your Online Presence
Functional medicine practices rely heavily on digital marketing. But healthcare marketing is not like promoting any other business. You must ensure every claim is compliant with FTC, FDA, and state medical board rules.
Functional Lawyer provides guidance on:
- What you can and cannot say online
- How to avoid misleading or prohibited claims
- How to describe non-FDA-approved therapies safely
- Social media do’s and don’ts
- Website content compliance
- Testimonial and before-and-after rules
- Email marketing requirements
This protection allows you to confidently market your practice without risking regulatory penalties.
Employment Essentials
As your practice grows, you’ll hire contractors, employees, or collaborating practitioners. Each relationship must be clearly defined with the correct agreements.
Functional Lawyer covers:
- Independent contractor vs. employee classifications
- Collaboration and supervising-physician rules
- HR compliance basics
- Non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements
- Staff training on HIPAA and operations
This ensures your employment structure supports your practice rather than exposing it to liability.
Up-to-Date Changes in the Healthcare Landscape
Healthcare rules shift constantly. States update telemedicine laws. The FDA clarifies policies. Professional boards change practice standards. New therapies enter the market. Technology evolves faster than regulations can catch up.
Functional Lawyer provides ongoing updates so you don’t get blindsided. Members receive clear explanations—not dense legal documents—to help you stay compliant without losing valuable time.
Direct Access to Your Lawyer
One of the biggest benefits of Functional Lawyer is access to Scott Rattigan himself. When a specific question arises—about your practice model, your website, a new therapy, a telemedicine expansion, or a regulatory change—you can get expert guidance from someone who understands the integrative and functional medicine world inside and out.
This is not generic legal advice. This is niche, practical insight tailored to the realities of your profession.
Focus on Treating Patients—Not Managing Legal Stress
You went into functional medicine to help people—not to spend hours researching laws, deciphering regulations, rewriting forms, or worrying you might be doing something wrong.
Functional Lawyer gives you peace of mind and a stable, compliant foundation so you can finally focus on what matters.
If you want clarity instead of confusion and protection instead of risk, sign up with Functional Lawyer. With expert support, up-to-date guidance, and answers to your toughest questions, you can grow your practice confidently and legally.
Functional medicine is complex—but your legal protection doesn’t have to be. Explore the Practice Protection Program.
