Resources

Client Alerts, News Articles, Blog Posts, & Multimedia

Everything you need to know about BMD and the industry.

Name, Image, and Likeness Agreements in Healthcare

Client Alert
November 14, 2025

Have you worked hard to cultivate your brand as a healthcare provider? If so, executing a Name, Image, and Likeness (“NIL”) agreement may be of interest to you. NIL agreements are contracts that allow an individual to profit from their name, image, and likeness. Specifically, these agreements protect an individual’s brand by defining how others can utilize their name, image, and likeness in advertisements, sponsorships, and endorsements, and the compensation the individual will receive as a result. NIL agreements are typically used in the context of athletics, such as enabling student-athletes to profit from their personal brand. However, NIL agreements have recently proved to be useful in other areas. For example, some healthcare providers have begun to utilize NIL agreements to promote the brand they have created through their healthcare practice.  Most recently, we have seen the most healthcare NIL activity with longevity and wellness providers, as well as orthopedics.  

Depending on who wishes to contract with a provider for NIL rights, there can be regulatory concerns.  Remember, healthcare is one of the most regulated industries in the United States!  If there is the potential to generate referrals for services that will be paid by a government health plan, NIL agreements must comply with applicable regulations that limit when and how a healthcare provider can accept payment for certain referrals, such as the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly known as the Stark Law. Conversely, if there are no third-party reimbursements possible (i.e. a contract with a sporting goods store), then the regulatory landscape looks different. In addition, any anecdotal information the healthcare provider chooses to share is subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), meaning that all identifying patient information must be removed.  

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) also has standards that healthcare providers must follow when advertising. Healthcare providers should ensure that any NIL agreements meet the FTC standard for medical advertising, and that any statements made by the healthcare provider are true, not materially misleading, and are supported with scientific evidence.       

We recommend engaging an attorney to draft or review your healthcare NIL agreement to ensure that it complies with the complex and changing regulations, and that it ultimately protects your interests.

To learn more about how healthcare NIL agreements could impact your practice, please contact BMD Member Jeana Singleton at jmsingleton@bmdllc.com or 330-253-2001.         

Health LawHealthcareNIL Contract
Multimedia, Client Alert

Pregnant Employee Protections - New Requirements for Employers

April 11, 2023New protections are coming to the workplace for pregnant employees in 2023! In the most sweeping changes since the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, two new federal laws were recently passed: (1) the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (otherwise known as the Pump Act), and (2) the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The requirements of these statutes will require employers with more than 15 employees to implement new policies for their handbooks.Client Alert

Five Common Pitfalls for Employers to Watch Out for Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

March 29, 2023The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets forth requirements for employers including, but not limited to, minimum wage, overtime pay, and recordkeeping for covered employees. These requirements are not as simple as they may appear on their face, which leads many employers to fall into compliance issues that they did not realize even existed.Client Alert

The NLRB Limits the Reach of Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Provisions in Severance Agreements Overruling Trump-Era Policies

March 14, 2023Employers should exercise caution and closely examine the content of severance agreements to ensure compliance with a recent National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) decision.  On February 21, 2023, the NLRB restricted the breadth of permissible language of confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses when it issued its decision in McLaren Macomb and overruled its Trump-era decisions in Baylor University Medical Center and IGT d/b/a International Game Technology.Client Alert

Ohio Medical Board Releases New Telehealth Rules

February 23, 2023On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the State Medical Board of Ohio released its final telehealth rules to implement Ohio’s telehealth statute (O.R.C. 4743.09) for physicians, physician assistants, dieticians, respiratory care professionals and genetic counselors. Ohio’s advanced practice registered nurses (“APRNs”) should also take note of these rules. While the Medical Board does not govern APRNs directly, those APRNs who are required to have a collaborating physician and standard care arrangement (namely nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists) are still affected by the rules. Generally, if an APRN’s collaborating physician is limited in their practice, then the APRN will also be limited.Client Alert

The End of the Public Health Emergency is (Finally) Here

February 23, 2023The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) that has been in effect for over three years is finally slated to end on May 11, 2023.[1] With the end of the PHE will come many changes for healthcare providers to be aware of; however, some changes may not come until much later.
Older posts
Newer posts