Proprietorship by persons other than licensed chiropractic physicians.

(1) A person may not employ a chiropractic physician licensed under this chapter or engage a chiropractic physician licensed under this chapter as an independent contractor to provide services that chiropractic physicians are authorized to offer under this chapter, unless the person is any of the following:

(a) A sole proprietorship, group practice, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, professional association, or any other entity that is wholly owned by:

1. One or more chiropractic physicians licensed under this chapter;

2. A chiropractic physician licensed under this chapter and the spouse or surviving spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the chiropractic physician; or

3. A trust whose trustees are chiropractic physicians licensed under this chapter and the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of a chiropractic physician.

If the chiropractic physician described in subparagraph 2. dies, notwithstanding part X of chapter 400, the surviving spouse or adult children may hold, operate, pledge, sell, mortgage, assign, transfer, own, or control the chiropractic physician’s ownership interests for so long as the surviving spouse or adult children remain the sole proprietors of the chiropractic practice.

(b) A sole proprietorship, group practice, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, professional association, or any other entity that is wholly owned by a physician or physicians licensed under this chapter, chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 461.

(c) An entity that is wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by an entity licensed or registered by the state under chapter 395.

(d) A clinical facility that is affiliated with a college of chiropractic accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education at which training is provided for chiropractic students.

(e) A public or private university or college.

(f) An entity wholly owned and operated by an organization that is exempt from federal taxation under s. 501(c)(3) or (4) of the Internal Revenue Code, a community college or university clinic, or an entity owned or operated by the Federal Government or by state government, including any agency, county, municipality, or other political subdivision thereof.

(g) An entity owned by a corporation the stock of which is publicly traded.

(h) A clinic licensed under part X of chapter 400 which provides chiropractic services by a chiropractic physician licensed under this chapter and other health care services by physicians licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459, the medical director of which is licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459.

(i) A state-licensed insurer.

(j) A health maintenance organization or prepaid health clinic regulated under chapter 641.

(2) A person other than a chiropractic physician licensed under this chapter may not direct, control, or interfere with a chiropractic physician’s clinical judgment regarding the medical necessity of chiropractic treatment. For purposes of this subsection, a chiropractic physician’s clinical judgment does not apply to chiropractic services that are contractually excluded, the application of alternative services that may be appropriate given the chiropractic physician’s prescribed course of treatment, or determinations that compare contractual provisions and scope of coverage with a chiropractic physician’s prescribed treatment on behalf of a covered person by an insurer, health maintenance organization, or prepaid limited health service organization.

(3) Any lease agreement, rental agreement, or other arrangement between a person other than a licensed chiropractic physician and a chiropractic physician whereby the person other than a licensed chiropractic physician provides the chiropractic physician with chiropractic equipment or chiropractic materials must contain a provision whereby the chiropractic physician expressly maintains complete care, custody, and control of the equipment or practice.

(4) The purpose of this section is to prevent a person other than the licensed chiropractic physician from influencing or otherwise interfering with the exercise of the chiropractic physician’s independent professional judgment. In addition to the acts specified in subsection (2), a person or entity other than an employer or entity authorized in subsection (1) may not employ or engage a chiropractic physician licensed under this chapter. A person or entity may not enter into a contract or arrangement with a chiropractic physician pursuant to which such person or entity exercises control over the following:

(a) The selection of a course of treatment for a patient, the procedures or materials to be used as part of the course of treatment, and the manner in which the course of treatment is carried out by the chiropractic physician;

(b) The patient records of the chiropractic physician;

(c) The policies and decisions relating to pricing, credit, refunds, warranties, and advertising; or

(d) The decisions relating to office personnel and hours of practice.

However, a person or entity that is authorized to employ a chiropractic physician under subsection (1) may exercise control over the patient records of the employed chiropractic physician; the policies and decisions relating to pricing, credit, refunds, warranties, and advertising; and the decisions relating to office personnel and hours of practice.

(5) Any person who violates this section commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(6) Any contract or arrangement entered into or undertaken in violation of this section is void as contrary to public policy.