Healthcare groups that grow into multiple locations almost always run into the same banking question: how many accounts do we actually need, and at which entity?

The short version: more than one. Usually a lot more than one. CPOM rules and payer enrollment require it.

Here's the actual minimum, the practical setup most MSO-PC groups land on, and what each account is for.

The Minimum: One Operating Account Per Entity

At a bare minimum, every legal entity in an MSO-PC structure needs its own operating account. That means:

• One operating account for the MSO. Receives management fees from the PCs, pays MSO-side vendors and admin staff.

• One operating account per PC. Receives insurance reimbursements, pays clinical staff, pays for clinical supplies.

For a 5-PC group, that's 6 operating accounts. Each is tied to its entity's EIN, payer enrollment, and tax filings.

CPOM rules in most states make this non-negotiable. A non-clinician (the MSO) cannot legally own clinical revenue. Separate accounts enforce the separation.

The Practical Setup Most Groups Land On

Operating accounts are the floor. Most groups add two or three more account types per entity for cleaner financial workflows:

• Payroll accounts: separate from operating, making payroll runs cleaner and reducing fraud surface.

• Merchant or patient payment accounts: where card payments and text-to-pay receipts land before sweeping to operating.

• Reserve or savings accounts: 30 to 60 days of operating expenses parked in interest-bearing accounts.

A 5-PC group that takes this path runs 12 to 15 accounts end-to-end. That sounds like a lot. With the right banking platform, the operational complexity is hidden behind a single dashboard.

What to Look For in a Bank

Generic business banks struggle with this structure. Specifically, look for:

• Multi-entity onboarding that activates all entities in days, not the 35 to 75 days typical at generalist banks.

• Virtual accounts per location or provider for clean payer EFT routing without opening dozens more accounts.

• Automated sweep rules ("if PC-3 holds more than $X, sweep to MSO master") that respect intercompany agreements.

• Consolidated dashboard across every entity for the CFO.

What Lemma doesn't do: it doesn't structure your MSO-PC entity setup for you, replace your healthcare attorney, or write your management services agreement. It provides the banking layer once the structure is in place.