Minnesota chiropractor marketing with the doctor's name on every ad and no dollar figures in crash ads

The Board of Chiropractic Examiners writes more of your ad copy than most owners realize. A clinic brand on its own does not satisfy it. Every ad needs a licensed doctor attached by name.

The board's advertising standards rule calls an ad wrongful when it asks for patients without naming the practitioner. It reaches office signs and business displays as well as Google and Facebook ads. A brand-only name such as "Spine and Wellness Center" needs the doctor's name beside it. Ads about chiropractic in general, paid for by a professional society and naming no practice, are outside the rule.

The word chiropractic has to show, too. Under the board's rule on the word chiropractic, it goes in the clinic name or in the body of the ad. In print it must be as large or as bold as the average text around it. In a radio spot or a video it must be as easy to hear as the rest. A tiny "chiropractic" in the footer under a large "Wellness Center" does not pass.

The doctor's title follows the same idea. The board's professional designations rule asks for doctor of chiropractic, D.C., chiropractor or a similar title in every professional reference. It carries the same emphasis as the words around it. That reaches your Google Business Profile, your bio page and the captions on your videos.

Credentials need a source. If an ad mentions a certification, the board's credentials rule requires naming the board or body that issued it. "Certified in sports rehab" alone falls short. Put the issuing organization in the same line.

Crash patients are a real part of chiropractic in Minnesota, and the state treats marketing to them as its own category. The limits are strict, and one of them is a felony.

The money exists for the patient. Minnesota's no-fault benefits law pays at least $20,000 in medical expense for each injured person. Its list of covered care names chiropractic. The same law bars insurers from pushing no-fault claimants into managed care networks.

What you may not do is reach out first. The no-fault claims practices law bars a licensed provider from starting contact with someone hurt in a car crash to win them as a patient. That covers visits, calls and electronic messages. It covers staff, vendors and anyone paid to do it. It does not apply when the injured person contacts you first or is already your patient.

Mail is allowed, with conditions. The letter opens with the word "ADVERTISEMENT" clearly at the top. It names the individual licensee and says they are a licensed health care provider. After it goes out, nobody from the practice follows up with that person.

The same law gives every crash ad, in any medium, its own checklist:

• The legal name, shown prominently. For a clinic, that is the name registered with the Secretary of State.
• The license type. For a clinic, the license types of all its owners, though not their names.
• No dollar amounts. Nothing about how much in benefits a patient might collect.
• No badge or uniform. Nothing that implies police or any law enforcement agency backs you.

Paid recruiters are a crime. Using a paid go-between to solicit crash patients is a felony under Minnesota's runner law, with up to three years in prison or a $6,000 fine. The bills for those patients also become uncollectible. Ads in public media, such as websites, directories and billboards, sit outside that definition.

Many practices sell a block of visits paid up front. In Minnesota, a larger plan is regulated by the board, so the ad that sells it should match the paperwork behind it.

The board's prepay plan rule applies once $1,000 or more is collected in advance for future care. The money goes into an FDIC-insured escrow account. It leaves only as care is delivered or for a refund. The plan is in writing and signed by both sides. The patient can ask for an accounting at any time and gets it within 14 days.

Three terms belong in any offer that promotes a plan:

• Three business days to cancel. The patient cancels without penalty, and unused money comes back within seven days. That right cannot be waived.
• No more than 50 visits. A plan cannot cover more, and a new plan waits until the old visits are used.
• A separately initialed note on new injuries. It says how the plan changes after a car or work injury.

The advertised price has its own rule. Since January 1, 2025, Minnesota's price transparency law bars an advertised price that leaves out mandatory fees. A low exam price with a required X-ray fee added at the desk is the pattern to fix.

Care priced by the patient's choices can still comply. The Attorney General's price transparency FAQ walks through the law, and the statute lists three things the ad must state. They are what sets the total, any mandatory fees and that the cost may vary.