What You Need to Know About Massage Therapist Insurance
More and more medical professionals are prescribing or recommending massage therapy to patients thanks to its ability to treat various conditions, such as injuries, chronic illnesses and even mental health. Massage therapists can help treat a variety of health conditions, including headaches, neck and back pain, sports injuries, mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression), stress, and even some chronic illnesses like arthritis and diabetes. These are just some of the reasons why massage therapists are invaluable.
Insurance Coverage Options
Even though, as a massage therapist, you offer an essential service to your clients, you are open to a wide variety of industry risks. In the event that a client claims malpractice or negligence against you or your business, you must have a comprehensive insurance policy in place to safeguard your livelihood and give you peace of mind.
A comprehensive insurance policy that fits all your business needs is the key to protecting your clients and yourself. You never know when you could be suddenly facing severe financial trouble. Whether you are an independent massage therapist operating out of your house or the owner of a massage therapy clinic, you need to know that your livelihood is protected.
What is liability insurance for a massage therapist?
In Ontario, massage therapist insurance is basically a business insurance portfolio explicitly tailored to massage therapists and clinics to protect themselves and their businesses from unique industry-related risks, such as damages, losses and lawsuits due to negligence or injuries.
Any registered or non-registered massage therapist needs massage therapist insurance. It’s essential because of how many industry risks you face daily. Without comprehensive insurance, you may find yourself responsible for paying a lot of money out of pocket to cover unexpected damages or accidents.
What does massage therapist insurance cover?
Professional Liability Insurance
Professional liability insurance, also known as massage malpractice insurance by massage therapists, is absolutely essential for any massage therapist. It is the most important coverage for you to have. It protects your business against claims of misconduct, negligence, failure to deliver a service or inadequate work. Professional liability covers:
Errors, mistakes and oversights
Failure to meet deadlines
Failure to deliver your product/service as advertised
Professional negligence or malpractice
Failure to meet a standard of care
Breach of contract
Commercial General Liability Insurance
Commercial general liability protects you, your business and your employees from legal liability against third-party bodily injury or property damage claims that occurred while a client was at your office. It covers the costs of medical bills, legal fees, and repairs or replacements. This insurance policy also protects you against any advertising and reputational injuries (e.g., slander, libel, copyright infringement).
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance protects your office and the contents inside (e.g., equipment, inventory, etc.) by covering the financial loss from such perils as:
Property damage due to natural disasters, flood, fire, vandalism or theft.
Property damage or theft of electronics, equipment, company documents or employees’ personal belongings.
Inventory theft by employees.
Commercial property insurance can also include business interruption, which protects your business should you be unable to work due to an illness or injury and have to shut it down temporarily. This helps offset ongoing costs from income losses, such as bills, employee wages, etc.
Cyber Insurance
Cyber and privacy liability insurance protects your business by covering damages and legal claims if your clients’ personal information is leaked or stolen due to a data breach or theft. As storing business information online has become standard practice, this has become an essential insurance policy for any business with clients to have.
What other coverages should you consider adding to your insurance policy?
Participant Accident/Liability Coverage
In the event that a client is injured during a massage session or while still at your office and there is no fault or liability found, this policy will provide accident and medical coverage. It includes:
Accidental death and dismemberment
Accident para-medical expense
Permanent and total disability
Weekly accident indemnity
Product Liability Insurance
Many massage therapists sell massage retail products to clients, such as moisturizers or topical analgesics. If a customer is injured by a product you sell to them (e.g. skin burned by a new skincare product), you could find yourself facing a lawsuit. Product liability insurance protects you against claims of bodily injury or property damage due to a product you manufacture, distribute or sell.
Business Insurance – Home-Based
If you run your business out of your home instead of at a separate office, you must let your insurance provider know immediately. Standard home insurance will not cover any business-related accidents or losses, even if they occur in the home.
Auto Insurance – Business Use
Some massage therapists travel to their clients’ houses instead of having a brick-and-mortar office. These massage therapists will need to let their insurance provider know they will be using their vehicle for business purposes. You can likely add this to your personal auto insurance policy.
Equipment Breakdown Insurance
Massage therapists have tools and equipment that are vital to the business, such as massage tables, medicine balls, or more advanced equipment like a float spa. Equipment breakdown insurance covers financial costs for equipment that need repairs or to be replaced due to internal damage. While you have some coverage for external event damage under commercial property insurance, this policy covers internal damages, such as power surges, motor burnout, electrical shorts, operator errors and mechanical breakdowns.
In Canada, every registered massage therapist is required to have insurance. This is to ensure the protection of you, all treatments provided by you, and your clients.
Things can and will go wrong, even for the most well-intentioned. As such, you need to make sure you are properly and thoroughly covered. Here are just a few reasons why massage therapists need insurance to protect themselves from:
Medical fraud. While most billing errors are genuine mistakes, there are people who will abuse the system intentionally.
Patient Confidentiality. Did you know that massage therapists are considered trustees under the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA)? This means that by law, you are required to keep patient information confidential. However, liability insurance can help cover legal fees and payouts for a breach of information.
Professional Liability. It may be more common than you realize that an error or slip-up needs settling in court, even when you are not at fault. For example, if informed consent was not acquired for a specific treatment, the client can file a claim.
Massage therapist insurance will also help to protect you against common allegations, such as sexual abuse (e.g. sexual relationships with clients or inappropriate touching), submitting false insurance claims and unobtained consent.
Get a Massage Therapist Insurance Quote Today
Many variables are involved in determining the type of insurance that’s best for you. Let Insurance Hero help manage your risk and insurance cost by conducting a full commercial insurance policy review to determine what kind of coverage is best for you!
For reliable, affordable Ontario massage therapist insurance, please request a quote online or call us at 1-855-777-4376. Our team of insurance heroes is happy to answer any questions you have!
