Running a functional or integrative medicine practice is deeply rewarding—but it’s also complex. You’re not just caring for patients. You’re navigating business operations, medical regulations, supplements, telemedicine rules, online marketing, and employment law, all while trying to grow a sustainable practice.
Legal blind spots don’t just create stress. They can quietly put your license, livelihood, and reputation at risk.
The law firm Functional Lawyer exists to make legal compliance practical, accessible, and aligned with the way functional medicine is actually practiced today.
Most practitioners didn’t go to school to become legal experts. And yet, legal compliance touches nearly every decision you make: how you structure your business, what you say on your website, how you communicate with patients, how you offer supplements, and how you practice across state lines.
Functional medicine also operates differently from conventional care. You often spend more time with patients, addressing root causes, recommending lifestyle changes and supplements, and integrating emerging therapies. While this approach helps create better outcomes, it can also place you under heightened scrutiny from regulators who may not fully understand your model of care.
Many practitioners assume that if they’re acting ethically and helping patients, they’re safe. Unfortunately, good intentions don’t protect you from audits, complaints, or regulatory enforcement.
Compliance is not about fear—it’s about freedom. When your legal foundation is solid, you can practice confidently, scale responsibly, and pursue bigger opportunities without constantly looking over your shoulder.
Your business structure sets the tone for everything else. Choosing the wrong entity, misclassifying workers, or failing to follow corporate formalities can expose you to unnecessary risk.
Business compliance includes:
Without proper structure, even a successful practice can unravel quickly if disputes, audits, or lawsuits arise.
Healthcare is regulated at the state level, and each state has its own rules governing the scope of practice, supervision, licensing, and patient care.
State compliance issues often include:
Many functional practices unintentionally cross regulatory boundaries simply because they are innovating faster than regulations evolve.
Federal law adds another layer of complexity. Even cash-based or membership practices are not exempt from federal oversight.
Federal compliance includes:
Federal agencies don’t need to agree with your philosophy to enforce their rules.
Functional medicine often includes supplements, nutraceuticals, and wellness products—but selling or recommending them improperly can create serious legal exposure.
Common supplement compliance issues include:
Even well-intentioned language can trigger enforcement if it crosses regulatory thresholds.
Telemedicine has expanded access—but it has also expanded risk. Practicing virtually does not mean regulations disappear.
Telemedicine compliance includes:
Many practices grow quickly online without realizing they are unintentionally practicing medicine illegally across state lines.
As your practice grows, so does your responsibility as an employer.
Employment compliance includes:
Team issues are one of the most common sources of legal disputes in healthcare practices.
Legal issues rarely start loudly. They begin quietly—with a complaint, an audit request, or a letter that makes your stomach drop.
Potential consequences include:
Beyond the financial impact, non-compliance creates stress, anxiety, and hesitation. Many practitioners limit their growth not because they lack vision, but because they’re afraid of legal exposure.
The Practice Protection Program was created specifically for functional, integrative, and innovative medical practices.
It’s not a one-size-fits-all legal template. It’s an evolving education and protection system designed to meet you where you are—and grow with you.
Through documents, education, and professional support, the program helps you stay compliant while building the practice you actually want.
Guidance on structuring your practice correctly from day one, avoiding common mistakes that create long-term risk.
Guidance on structuring your practice correctly from day one, avoiding common mistakes that create long-term risk.
Foundational legal documents, policies, and compliance strategies every functional practice needs.
Straightforward guidance that makes patient privacy manageable instead of overwhelming.
Support for websites, marketing language, social media, and claims—so your digital footprint works for you, not against you.
Tools and education to help you build and manage your team while minimizing employment-related risk.
As new issues emerge, lessons are added to reflect the dynamic nature of the legal landscape—so you’re never relying on outdated information.
The Practice Protection Program was built by someone who truly understands the world of functional medicine.
When Scott Rattigan’s wife started her own functional practice, he quickly realized that conventional legal advice didn’t fit the realities of integrative care. The nuance, innovation, and regulatory gray areas demanded a different approach.
Driven by a passion to bring functional medicine mainstream, Scott left his law firm to join the Evolution of Medicine as a Practitioner Support Specialist. Speaking with around 40 providers daily and reviewing their websites, he saw firsthand how many practices were operating with little legal protection.
This lack of support created constant anxiety—holding providers back from expanding services, marketing confidently, or pursuing bigger dreams due to fear of legal liability.
Having faced similar challenges himself, Scott understood those concerns deeply. The Practice Protection Program was born out of real conversations, real risks, and real solutions tailored specifically to functional medicine.
You became a functional medicine practitioner to help people heal—not to decipher regulations, draft legal language, or worry about compliance every time you make a decision.
Legal protection shouldn’t slow you down. It should support your growth.
The Practice Protection Program gives you the clarity, education, and professional support you need to practice confidently, protect what you’ve built, and move forward without fear.
Get started with the Practice Protection Program today and build a practice that’s not only effective but also legally secure.
