How PEOs Streamline HR and Payroll for Small Medical and Dental Practices

Key Points 

• PEOs handle complex payroll tasks, including tax assistance, payroll reporting, and compliance with New York labor laws. 
• Medical and dental practices gain access to comprehensive employee benefits packages typically available only to larger organizations.  
• Compliance support covers ACA requirements, certified payroll, and union payroll when applicable. 
• Unlike large, impersonal payroll platforms, dedicated account management from TBM provides personalized service. 
• Cost savings come from reduced administrative overhead and access to group purchasing power for benefits.

Why Small Practices Struggle with HR and Payroll in NY 

Small practices face a perfect storm of administrative challenges. You're managing patient schedules, insurance claims, and medical records while also trying to handle payroll tax calculations, employee benefits enrollment, and compliance reporting. 

New York's complex labor laws add another layer of difficulty. The state requires specific documentation for overtime calculations, meal break policies, and sick leave accrual. Missing a deadline or miscalculating payroll taxes could result in penalties that significantly impact your ability to care for patients. 

Many medical and dental practice owners try to handle these tasks in-house or rely on basic payroll software. However, these approaches often fall short when dealing with healthcare's nuanced requirements. 

How PEOs Transform HR for Medical & Dental Practices 

A PEO partnership fundamentally changes how your practice handles human resources. Instead of juggling multiple vendors or handling tasks internally, you can access a full team of HR specialists who understand healthcare industry requirements. 

Clear Policies & Employee Handbooks  

When a PEO creates your employee handbook, it becomes a reliable resource for your staff. Employee handbooks handle policies, compliance updates, benefits details, and workplace guidelines. This means employees have easy access to the information they need, allowing them to focus on patient care instead of searching for answers.  

Your practice benefits from a standardized handbook that ensures consistency. Employees receive clear guidance on policies, benefits, and compliance requirements, reducing confusion and improving communication. 

Comprehensive Employee Benefits 

Small practices often struggle to offer competitive benefits packages. PEOs solve this problem by pooling multiple small businesses, creating group purchasing power that rivals large healthcare systems. 

Your employees can access health insurance, dental coverage, vision plans, and retirement options that would be prohibitively expensive for a small practice to offer independently. This improved benefits package helps attract and retain quality staff in a competitive healthcare job market. 

Expert HR Support 

When employee relations issues arise, you can access experienced HR professionals who understand general employment law and healthcare-specific regulations. They can guide you through performance management, disciplinary actions, and termination procedures while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws. 

Payroll Expertise That Medical & Dental Practices Need 

Payroll processing for medical and dental practices is more complex than in many other industries. Different roles may have varying pay structures, intricate overtime calculations, and compliance requirements. Plus, these industries often have complicated PTO and vacation accrual policies that a PEO easily manages. 

Accurate Payroll Processing and Reporting 

PEOs handle payroll processing, from calculating regular and overtime hours to managing deductions for benefits and taxes. They generate detailed payroll reporting that helps you understand labor costs and make informed staffing decisions. 

This level of detail is particularly valuable for practices that need to track costs by department or analyze the financial impact of different service offerings. 

Quarterly Tax Filings and Compliance 

Missing payroll tax deadlines or filing incorrect amounts can result in significant penalties. PEOs help you ensure accuracy and manage timeliness for federal, state, and local requirements. 

In New York, this includes managing state disability insurance contributions, unemployment insurance taxes, and local tax obligations that vary by municipality. You'll need a PEO partner that stays current on all these requirements, so you don't have to. 

Comprehensive Compliance Support 

Healthcare practices operate in one of the most regulated industries. A PEO partnership provides ongoing compliance support that adapts to changing regulations and reduces risk exposure, especially for smaller, private medical practices and dental offices. 

ACA Compliance Management 

The Affordable Care Act creates significant compliance obligations for practices with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees. ACA compliance involves tracking employee hours, offering adequate health coverage, and filing detailed reports with the IRS. 

PEOs manage this process—from determining which employees qualify as full-time to generating and filing required forms like 1094-C and 1095-C. They also handle the complex calculations needed to determine health plan affordability and minimum value requirements. 

Risk Mitigation Strategies 

Beyond basic compliance, PEOs help identify and address potential risk areas before they become problems. They review your employment policies, suggest updates based on current best practices, and provide guidance on handling sensitive situations like workplace injuries or discrimination complaints. 

This proactive approach protects your practice from costly legal issues and helps maintain a positive workplace environment that supports both patient care and employee satisfaction. 

Why TBM Stands Out for New York Practices 

TBM brings over 30 years of experience serving small to mid-sized businesses in New York, with specialized expertise in meeting the unique requirements of the healthcare industry. 

Specialized Healthcare Knowledge  

At TBM, we understand the unique challenges medical and dental practices face. Our team has extensive experience with healthcare-specific payroll requirements, compliance obligations, and the operational demands of patient care environments. This specialized knowledge ensures you're working with advisors who truly understand your industry—not generalists trying to apply one-size-fits-all solutions to your practice’s needs. 

Compliance-First Approach  

Our compliance-first mindset is vital for practices operating in highly regulated environments. We don’t just process payroll—we actively monitor regulatory changes and adjust to keep your practice compliant. Our proactive approach helps prevent costly mistakes and gives you confidence that your employment practices meet all applicable requirements. 

Personalized Service Model  

Unlike large PEOs that rely on call centers and automated systems, we assign each client a dedicated account manager. This means you'll work with someone who gets to know you and your practice’s specific needs and history. When questions arise, you’ll have direct access to a knowledgeable partner who can provide tailored answers. 

What to Expect When Switching to a PEO 

Transitioning to a PEO partnership with TBM is seamless and won’t disrupt your practice’s operations. Our implementation team works closely with you to ensure a smooth transition. We will review your current payroll and HR processes, set up new systems, and train your staff on any necessary changes. Most practices find the transition straightforward and immediately notice a reduced administrative burden.  

Transform Your Practice's Administrative Operations  

Managing HR and payroll shouldn’t take your focus away from patient care. As your PEO partner, TBM provides the expertise, technology, and support to handle employment administration efficiently and compliantly.  

Outsourcing these complex functions to our team of specialists frees up time and resources to grow your practice and improve patient outcomes. Our combination of cost savings, risk reduction, and enhanced employee benefits makes partnering with TBM a strategic investment in your practice's future.  

Ready to see how we can transform your practice’s operations? Contact us to discuss your specific needs and learn how our compliance-first approach can provide peace of mind while you focus on what matters most.