Membership Details

While PMAs are not new in the United States, most people are unfamiliar with the structure and its benefits. We’re answering some of the primary questions about Private Membership Association and how that model works better for our members and practitioners.

What is a ‘PMA’?

PMA is an acronym for “Private Membership Association”. For a lot of people, this model of business seems a little out of the ‘norm’, but PMAs have a relatively long history in the United States if you know what you’re looking at. PMAs came into existence in the 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement when they were established to protect the right to associate and the right to privacy for these gatherings. You probably know a couple of PMAs already- the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is one, and the American Bar Association is another. If you’ve ever eaten at a restaurant in a ‘dry’ county and had to purchase a membership to order a glass of wine with your dinner, you’re part of a PMA!

What kind of businesses are frequently PMAs?

Food co-ops, health care groups, gyms, chiropractors, midwives, restaurants, churches…..the list is growing more and more!

How does a PMA in a healthcare business work?

Members in a healthcare PMA have more and better access to receive treatments, advice, and products that are not available to the general public. Practitioners in PMAs are not forced to prescribe medicine or treat disease in the way public conventional medicine does. This opens up a safer, healthier, and more natural approach to health, but really promotes a more transparent, honest, and effective model of healthcare as a whole.

What is the legal basis of a PMA?

PMAs fall under the constitutional protection (the due process liberty clause of the 5th and 14th Amendments) that grants the right to associate, right to privacy, and the right to conduct ‘business’ among its members in the private sector. ‘Business’ is whatever services the association undertakes, and is considered a private contractual agreement between members, protected by private domain rights.

….in summary?

Members in a PMA move from ‘public clients’ to ‘private member’ status, based on the understanding that a function of this privacy is not under the regulatory reach of the local, state, and federal government entities. The Association is governed by their Bylaws and Articles of Association, and managed by their trustees and chairpersons.

The PMA has the right to operate privately, according to the liberties and freedoms established by the Constitution and the founding documents of the Association rather than the governmental regulations. The focus is on the rights the Members believe they have according to the sovereignty of their Creator, not the negligible ‘rights’ the government tells them they have. A PMA can be held accountable for any actions considered ‘justified by clear public interest, threatened not doubtfully or remotely, but by clear and present danger” (Thomas, 323 U.S. at 531)- in other words, there is accountability for the actions of the members and practitioners, and a tribunal committee in the event of an occurrence.

How are PMAs helpful for the community?

By operating in the private sector, a business can focus on the individual needs of the members rather than being controlled and limited by government interference, therefore creating a stronger and more stable sense of community. For example, businesses that were deemed ‘non-essential’ would have been able to remain open during lockdowns regardless of local government orders.

Why is your general membership so inexpensive?

We don’t feel like people should have to pay exorbitant fees for the honesty and service we feel they deserve. The value of our services lie in the service (appointments, advice, products, etc), not the access to those services.

Do I have to be a member to schedule an appointment?

You do not have to complete your membership when scheduling, but you will be asked to complete it before your appointment as one of your intake forms. We made the decision in 2023 to close our original practice, “Dr. LaDonna Rocha, Naturopath” and move entirely to a membership-based service in order to better serve our former clients (now ‘members’). If you have further questions about how the PMA works, please feel free to reach out to us through our Contact options and we will be happy to answer your questions.

How do I access the Membership Agreement?

You can view the membership agreement by clicking the button below: