Georgia Corporate Practice of Medicine Rules (2026 Guide)

Georgia sits in a gray zone, and we classify its corporate practice of medicine (CPOM) status as limited or unsettled. Georgia once had an explicit statute against the corporate practice of medicine. According to secondary sources, the legislature repealed it and did not replace it with a standalone ban. What remains is indirect: physician licensing laws, Georgia's Professional Corporation Act, and the Georgia Composite Medical Board's power to discipline physicians.

Bottom line for a non-physician founder: Georgia is more permissive than its neighbors to the north and east, but you still cannot own a Georgia medical professional corporation, and a structure that lets non-physicians steer clinical decisions invites board scrutiny. Most founders use a physician-owned PC plus an MSO. For an NP founder, Georgia is generally classified as a restricted practice state. NPs generally work under a protocol agreement with a delegating physician, so an NP-led model should plan on a physician in the structure.

This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the current rules with a healthcare attorney licensed in Georgia. Last reviewed October 2026. State rules change often; statute and case references are summaries, not quotations.

Key takeaways

According to secondary sources, Georgia repealed its former corporate practice of medicine statute, and we are not aware of a standalone replacement as of October 2026.
Under O.C.G.A. § 14-7-4, a Georgia professional corporation may render professional services only through licensed officers, employees, and agents, and at least one director and the president must be licensed in the profession.
Georgia's Professional Corporation Act limits shareholders of a medical PC to licensed professionals, so non-physicians cannot hold equity in one.
Georgia nurse practitioners generally have restricted practice authority and work under a protocol agreement with a delegating physician; confirm current requirements.
Georgia has offered a telemedicine license for out-of-state physicians; confirm its current availability, eligibility, and scope with the Composite Medical Board.

Does Georgia have a corporate practice of medicine doctrine?

Not as a freestanding rule. According to the Little Health Law blog, Georgia's old CPOM prohibition was repealed, and the Georgia Composite Medical Board has acknowledged that the prohibition was not re-codified. We have not reviewed the repeal or the board's statement directly, so confirm with counsel. Since then, CPOM principles survive in pieces:

Licensing statutes. Georgia's Medical Practice Act requires a license to practice medicine. A business that tries to practice medicine directly, rather than through licensed physicians exercising independent judgment, still has an unlicensed-practice problem.
The Professional Corporation Act. Title 14, Chapter 7 restricts who can own and run a professional corporation.
Board discipline. The Composite Medical Board can discipline physicians who allow lay control over clinical care.

This is why Georgia is often described inconsistently. Some lists call it a CPOM state. Others call it permissive. Both are partly right. There is no blanket ban, but Georgia's professional entity rules still keep non-physicians out of physician-owned PCs.

Who can own a medical practice in Georgia?

Professional corporations. O.C.G.A. § 14-7-4 requires a professional corporation to render professional services only through officers, employees, and agents licensed in Georgia, though it may employ unlicensed staff in non-professional roles. At least one member of the board of directors and the president must be licensed in the profession. The section also allows certain cross-profession pairings, including MD/DO with podiatry, ophthalmology with optometry, and chiropractic with physicians. Georgia's Professional Corporation Act limits shareholders to licensed professionals; confirm the governing section with counsel.

Professional LLCs and other entities. With no blanket CPOM ban, Georgia has more flexibility than strict states. Whether, and on what terms, Georgia permits professional LLCs for physicians should be confirmed with counsel. Whether a particular LLC or business corporation may employ physicians depends on structure and control. Have Georgia counsel review before relying on a non-PC model.

Hospitals and health systems employ physicians directly in Georgia.

Can nurse practitioners and physician assistants own a practice in Georgia?

Nurse practitioners. Georgia is classified as a restricted practice state by the AANP. NPs generally practice under a nurse protocol agreement with a delegating physician, which defines what the NP may do, including prescribing. Confirm the current protocol requirements with the relevant boards. That means an NP-owned clinic is possible in practice only with a physician protocol partner in place. Because Georgia's PC statute requires licensed shareholders, an NP-owned PC would be organized for nursing services, not medicine. Confirm entity choice with counsel.

Physician assistants. Georgia PAs generally practice under a supervising physician; confirm the current supervision rules. A PA-led model needs that physician relationship documented before the PA sees patients.

For NP- and PA-led telehealth brands, Georgia is a state where a reliable collaborating physician relationship is not optional.

How does the friendly PC-MSO model work in Georgia?

The friendly PC-MSO model is the standard Georgia structure for investor-backed brands, even without a blanket CPOM statute. A Georgia-licensed physician owns the PC and serves as president and a director, satisfying § 14-7-4. The PC employs or contracts clinicians and holds payer contracts. The MSO provides non-clinical services under a management services agreement.

Georgia-specific design points:

Officer roles matter. Section 14-7-4 requires a licensed president and at least one licensed director. Do not install MSO executives as PC officers.
Fees. We did not confirm a Georgia statute that specifically restricts percentage-based management fees. A fair market value flat or cost-plus fee is still the defensible design, and federal anti-kickback and Stark rules apply to federal program revenue.
Protocol agreements. If your model runs on NPs, the PC (or its physicians) must supply delegating physicians and keep protocol agreements current.

What does this mean for a telehealth brand serving Georgia patients?

Georgia's rules apply when the patient is located in Georgia, no matter where your company or clinician is based.

Georgia has offered a dedicated telemedicine license for out-of-state physicians. Where available, that may be faster than a full license for a physician who will only treat Georgia patients remotely. Confirm current availability, eligibility, and scope with the Composite Medical Board before relying on it. Our telehealth licensing by state guide compares options.

Practical structure: Georgia-licensed (or telemedicine-licensed) physicians, NPs operating under protocol agreements with those physicians, a physician-owned PC with a licensed president, and an MSO. If you also serve Florida, note that Florida regulates non-physician-owned clinics through clinic licensure rather than a CPOM ban, so the two states need different checklists.

Georgia CPOM at a glance

Topic	Georgia (as of October 2026)
CPOM enforcement	Limited or unsettled
Primary legal basis	Former CPOM statute repealed (per secondary sources); licensing laws and Professional Corporation Act (O.C.G.A. Title 14, Ch. 7)
Professional entity options	Professional corporation (licensed shareholders, licensed president and director); other entities possible with care
Fee-splitting rule	No Georgia-specific statute confirmed; use fair market value fees
NP practice authority	Restricted (protocol agreement with delegating physician, generally)
Out-of-state telehealth licensing	Telemedicine license has been offered; confirm current eligibility and scope
Typical structure for non-physician founders	Physician-owned PC plus MSO

Frequently asked questions

Is the corporate practice of medicine prohibited in Georgia?

According to secondary sources, Georgia repealed its former corporate practice of medicine statute and has not enacted a standalone replacement. Licensing laws and the Professional Corporation Act still limit how non-physicians can participate in medical practices.

Can a non-physician own a medical practice in Georgia?

A non-physician cannot hold shares in a Georgia medical professional corporation. Non-physicians typically own the management services organization that supports a physician-owned PC.

Who must be the officers of a Georgia medical professional corporation?

Under O.C.G.A. § 14-7-4, at least one director and the president must be licensed in the profession, and professional services must be rendered only through licensed individuals.

Can nurse practitioners practice independently in Georgia?

Generally no. Georgia is classified as a restricted practice state, and NPs generally work under a protocol agreement with a delegating physician. Confirm current requirements.

Can out-of-state doctors provide telehealth to Georgia patients?

Yes, with a full Georgia license, and Georgia has also offered a telemedicine license for out-of-state physicians. Confirm current availability, eligibility, and scope with the Georgia Composite Medical Board.

Sources

Compare Georgia with every other state in our corporate practice of medicine 50-state guide.

Launch in Georgia on a structure that is already built

MyOrbitHealth can form a PC-MSO structure for your brand through our PC-MSO formation service, or supply a physician PC owner or collaborating physician through our physician PC owner services. You can also launch on our existing MSO / friendly-PC structure, where 2,400+ licensed providers make every clinical decision and MyOrbitHealth does not practice medicine. Book a call to scope it.