Legal Issues and Insurance
10 months to opening:
Obtain police check
A police clearance letter is required for your registration with the Board of Directors Drugless Therapy – Naturopathy (BDDT-N) (and potentially for other regulating bodies across Canada). The procedure for this will differ depending on where you live. The procedure and length of time necessary to obtain this will also vary depending on where you live. Check with your local police for the procedure. If you are obtaining a police check through the City of Toronto, make sure you know the cost and the type of documentation you will require. You may want to do this while studying for NPLEX as the procedure can take several weeks in some areas.
Malpractice insurance
You can obtain this one of a few ways. Through the CAND and Partners Indemnity, this option has been around the longest. It is also available through the OAND if you will be practicing in Ontario, with a private company that supplies insurance to NDs. The cost is about $550 / year but it may be more depending on the type of coverage you have.
Join provincial/state association
Join federal association
- Canada – CAND (Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors)
- USA – AANP (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians)
Personal health insurance
What would happen to your practice if you were hospitalized for some reason? Check with your insurance broker about disability insurance and read and understand the policy exclusions carefully.
Interview and hire a lawyer
- Lawyer reviews financing terms
- Lawyer reviews partnership agreement
Again, you are the customer. Look for someone who takes an interest and is willing to work with you.
Develop a rough partnership agreement if applicable
It is so important to get potential areas of disagreement out in the open before you start. This is one area where a lawyer must be involved. And one further warning, just because a clause is in the partnership agreement, that does not provide a guarantee that it can be enforced.
