The Corporate Practice of Medicine

For almost a century, virtually all states have prohibited corporations from practicing health care professions that require state licensure, such as medicine and dentistry. This has been termed the “corporate practice of medicine doctrine.” Specifically, state laws preclude business corporations from owning and operating dental offices and employing practitioners while the corporation collects some or all fees paid by patients. More generally, all states, even the few permitting corporate practice, outlaw any interference by unlicensed people or entities with dentists’ independent clinical judgment and patient care. This paper examines current law regarding the corporate practice of dentistry in the fifty states and the District of Columbia.

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