Since passage of the 2016 constitutional amendment legalizing the medical use of marijuana, nearly 2,300 Florida doctors have undergone training to recommend cannabis for various qualifying medical conditions. Many of these physicians belong to practices exclusively dedicated to this industry, and more than 730,000 patients have qualified for treatment through Florida’s legal requirements for patient eligibility.
As the number of patients approved to use medical marijuana in Florida grows steadily in the highly competitive cannabis industry, some alleged bad actors have frustrated providers.
Veriheal, an exclusively online marketing company gaining a foothold in Florida’s cannabis market, connects patients and doctors by telemedicine. Avoiding in-person patient evaluations, and adopting a fee-splitting agreement with physicians.
Aaron Bloom, CEO of DocMJ, and other industry executives, have raised concerns about the legality of these practices. Florida law requires that physicians conduct in-person examinations of all potential medical marijuana patients, and fee-splitting with physicians is prohibited by Florida’s Patient Brokering Act. Yet, as part of their business scheme, Veriheal has a fee-splitting agreement with enlisted doctors, offering them $55 for every patient recruited from its website. Also, to date, all patient evaluations are performed by telemedicine, which is in violation of Florida’s law, requiring physician examinations in the same room as the patient.
In February, following Veriheal’s solicitation of a doctor who works for DocMJ, Bloom filed a petition with the Board of Medicine, requesting a “declaratory statement” to advise whether the telemedicine marketing corporation’s fee-splitting agreement violated Florida law. “The statute is so clearly written that is basically says nobody — persons, companies, anything — can pay anything of value for a referral,” Bloom stated in a phone interview with The News Service of Florida.
On April 8, the Board addressed the issue, stating they lacked the authority to punish the online marketing company and referred such matters to the attorney general’s office and state attorneys, who have the power to prosecute those engaging in illegal fee-splitting arrangements.
Bloom shares concern that companies like Veriheal could potentially threaten the credibility of the medial marijuana program:
“It’s incredibly frustrating for our doctors. Our doctors, they love the program because they see the amazing benefits and results that their patients are getting,” Bloom said. “What’s particularly confounding to our doctors is that there are so many rules and regulations, and this program is under such scrutiny. Every year, the Legislature continuously looks for ways to regulate it…Why is this issue, a clear violation, ignored?”
Aaron Bloom, an experienced healthcare attorney, serves as the CEO of DocMJ and Medwell Health and Wellness Centers, where he has overseen the organizations’ mission and growth since 2016. In addition to his leadership roles, Aaron serves on the Board of Directors for Waterfall Bank, bringing his expertise in healthcare, compliance, and strategic growth to the financial services sector.
Aaron’s passion for improving patients’ lives stems from more than 20 years of owning, operating, and representing traditional healthcare organizations. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to finding better ways to relieve suffering and expand access to innovative, patient-centered care. As CEO, Aaron works each day to help patients achieve better health and wellness through the therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis and other evidence-based alternative medicines.