Questions practitioners ask
Mostly about scope. Rightly so.
Does this put me outside my scope of practice?
No, and the structure is built specifically so it does not. You never diagnose, prescribe, dispense, adjust a dose or advise on the medication. An independent licensed clinician does all of it. You are the seller of the program, not the provider of the medicine. Your own state board rules still govern you and you should read this alongside them.
I cannot prescribe in my state. Is that a problem?
It is the whole reason this exists. Chiropractors have no prescribing authority in 49 of 50 states, and dietitians, massage therapists and physical therapists have none anywhere. The prescriber sits outside your practice by design.
What can a patient actually be prescribed?
Medical weight management, nutritional and metabolic support, menopause and hormone therapy, testosterone therapy for diagnosed low testosterone, longevity and recovery support, biomarker testing and sexual health, each only where a clinician determines it is clinically appropriate. Not everyone qualifies.
Will this cannibalise my own services?
It generally runs the other way. A patient losing weight quickly needs more attention to loading, recovery and nutrition, not less, and the program gives them a monthly reason to stay engaged with your practice between appointments.
Do I need a medical director?
No. You are not operating a medical practice, employing a clinician or supervising care. The clinical entity is Beluga Health, an independent physician-led group, and the relationship with it is ours rather than yours.
How do we get paid?
You are the seller of record. You buy the program at one published wholesale price, set your own retail price and keep the margin. No money changes hands for sending business in either direction, which is exactly what keeps the structure clean.
Do we see our patients' medical information?
No. Records for the program stay with the clinical team under HIPAA. You receive aggregate, de-identified reporting only, and your staff never access a program record.
What does it cost us to run?
Nothing. No setup fee, no software licence, no staff to hire, no stock to hold and no clinical operation to run.
Can I bill insurance for it?
No. These are cash-pay programs, which is the point. They earn outside the fee schedule entirely, at a time when therapy reimbursement is falling and denials are rising.
Which states can we launch in?
Wherever clinician coverage is live, which is expanding. Tell us your state and your profession on the partner form and we will confirm before you commit to anything.
What risk do we still carry?
This is a narrower risk, not no risk. You do not prescribe, diagnose, dispense or hold patient health information, and you never buy, own or sell the medication, so clinical negligence, drug product liability and a health-data breach sit with the medical group, the pharmacy and us. What stays with you is your own business: your marketing, your staff and how you sell. Worth asking your broker whether your existing liability and cyber cover already respond to those. This is not legal or insurance advice.
