Can I offer services or products? Yes, as long as they are listed in the Articles of Association.
Can I work on other modalities and technologies? Yes, as long as they are listed in the Articles of Association.
Can I make changes to my Articles of Association? Yes, however it is a very difficult process. We recommend you take your time and get things setup as you want them from the beginning. The Articles of Association may be amended upon unanimous consent of the Trustee(s). The amendments will be submitted to the members for their ratification. If the Association achieves ratification of three-fourths (3/4) of the members that existed at the time the amendment was first submitted, the amendment will become a part of the Articles of Association and be binding upon all members within one year of passing the amendment.
Is the PMA (Private Membership Association) a corporation? No, it is an UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATION under Common Law. It does, however, file an 1120 tax return like a corporation. Consult your CPA for additional needs or questions.
What is a Trustee? A Trustee is the person who has control and possession of the PMA. The Trustee is also legally liable for the financial and tax responsibilities of the Association.
What is a Successor Trustee? The Successor Trustee assumes the position of First Trustee if he or she are unable to perform their duties. Note: If you choose to list more than one successor trustee, remember that they have equal power and must agree on any changes/actions.
It is necessary to designate a Successor Trustee? No. However, in this instance there would be no one to handle the business if something happened to the Trustee. If you decide against a Successor Trustee, you MUST have at least one Special Honorary Charter Member listed. Remember, you need two people or more to form a PMA.
How do I choose a Trustee? Most often, the Trustee is the person who forms the PMA. You should select the person with the wisest counsel.
Can I add a Trustee or change Trustees later? Again, this constitutes a change to the original Articles of Association and is subject to the same rules.
Can I have employees? Are they covered by my PMA? Yes, you can have employees and they are covered as long as they are performing only services listed in your articles of Association. All employees and contract labor must be members of your PMA and have signed agreements, as well as payments on file.
How will our practitioner members benefit from me having a PMA? It allows them freedom of choice for their health care.
Can I change my one-time fee to a yearly fee or vice versa? Yes. However, this also is very difficult as it requires an amendment to the Articles of Association. As Mentioned in #3, amendments may be done, but the process is very tedious. Trustee(s) may change the membership amount at any time with no amendments to the Articles of Association.
Can I change my membership fees that are stated in the Articles of Association? Yes. The Trustee may adjust the fee amount at any time without changes to the Articles of Association, as long as you have utilized a sliding scale option in your Articles of Association (Example: $5 or more).
Why would I buy a Local Chapter? Because a Local Chapter removes your practice from the Public Sector arena and places it into the Private Sector. This allows you to practice with your members as you see fit, without being regulated by Public Entities.
Do I still need my professional license? You need a license to bill Insurance, Medicare, Auto Accidents, Write Prescriptions, etc.
What if I want to file insurance for some of my clients? You will need two separate and clearly marked spaces—one for the public and one for the PMA members. Any client for whom you are billing insurance would be treated in the public space, and therefore open to public scrutiny; everyone else would need to be a member of your PMA and treated in the space designated as Private.
When do I apply for my new EIN (Employee Identification Number)? Once your Articles of Association are complete, we will send you instruction for to obtaining your EIN.
Can my PMA be the same name as my current business? Can I use the same EIN number? No! A PMA is a new business, which files a new and separate tax return with a new EIN number. We will provide instructions on how to apply for the new EIN (see #19).
Who is considered “The owner” of my PMA? The entity owns itself and therefore has no owner listed.
When and where do you appoint officers? Officers are appointed and removed by the trustee(s). They do not have to be listed in your Articles of Association. In fact, we recommend you do not list your officers in the Articles of Association. This will allow you to make any changes in that area as needed without amending the Articles of Association.
Will I need outside legal and/or accounting professionals to help with my PMA? Yes. We recommend you continue your relationship with your legal and tax advisers. The PMA is just another business paying taxes just as a corporation would.
How do I bill the members of my association? Membership Enrollment will be the first charge billed. After the enrollment fee, every purchase will need to be billed as a Special Assessment Fee (SAF). If you choose a yearly fee, it will be important to collect the fee each year in order to keep the membership current and your PMA coverage in place. We commend billing those yearly fees in January every year so that is consistent.
Do I have to file my Articles of Association with any agency? No.
Do I need to keep my malpractice insurance? (For Healthcare Professionals) This is based on personal choice. However, if you choose to continue to have any public presence, you will need to follow all the rules and regulations assigned by the relevant agencies. If all of your business is done through the PMA, malpractice insurance may be unnecessary.
Does my PMA offer coverage if I am working in another State or Country? You are covered in crossing STATE lines. However, your PMA coverage does not include international travel.
Rebuttal to False Allegations and Slander by Jay Adkisson – ProAdvocate Group PMA has posted a rebuttal that can be found here.
