What’s Included In Massage Insurance Coverage?
There are three essential components of massage therapy insurance coverage: professional, general liability, professional liability, and cyber liability insurance. However, if you run a massage studio, you should also consider a fourth aspect—commercial property insurance.
Even as an individual working in a massage studio, it’s important to have your own massage therapist insurance coverage tailored to your modalities, rather than relying on your studio’s coverage. Knowing exactly what each policy covers, or doesn’t, and what potential add-ons are available to standard plans will help you find what massage insurance coverage is right for you.
How Important is Massage Insurance Coverage?
In short: it’s essential.
If a client seeks compensation for an injury they sustained on the property of a massage studio you work for, not during the massage itself, the studio will be the only one held responsible. But that situation is an outlier—if anything happens during the massage, both you and the studio will be held responsible. Sadly, litigation is slowly becoming one of the more prominent risks and hazards of being a massage therapist. Without massage insurance coverage, any accident or claim of malpractice results in a massive financial burden.
Here are the main causes of massage injury as described by Hartman Law Office:
- Too much pressure while performing a massage
- Neglecting to ensure a sanitary environment during the massage
- When untrained or unsupervised staff are too harsh with a client and don’t understand the extent of the injuries involved
- When equipment that needs to be updated (or was defective) injures the client
- When a medical evaluation wasn’t properly performed prior to the start of the massage
- Oversight in making a thorough inquiry about a client’s medical history, such as pre-existing injuries, illnesses, or allergies
Types of Massage Insurance Coverage
You may be wondering, “Do Massage Centers Need Insurance?” Seeing as claims of massage injury come from every level of a massage therapy business, an extensive insurance plan is a necessity. For an individual massage therapist, a typical plan will offer good coverage, but if you run a studio or use specialized modalities, you have more to consider.
For All Practicing Massage Therapists
What could be known as the three fundamental massage therapist insurance policies, include:
- Professional liability – The most basic, necessary insurance, providing protection from claims against massage services and any alleged injuries that were caused due to malpractice or bad advice. Professional liability insurance is also known as errors and omissions insurance — for example, covers defective equipment.
- General liability – For incidents occurring on the property before or after a session, providing protection from claims of accidental injury or property damage of third parties. For example general liability coverage would provide reimbursement for the medical expenses of a client who slipped and fell while they were entering the premises.
- Cyber Liability Insurance – Another form of coverage, cyber liability insurance protects you against cyber attacks, phishing scams, and hacks (and the resulting financial loss that occurs). Should you take payments from customers or withhold personal information (as most massage therapists do), you need this form of coverage.
For Anyone Running Their Own Studio
In addition to getting a typical plan, if you’re running a massage therapy practice, regardless of if you’re self-employed, a renter, or a property owner, you should have insurance coverage for your business. Plans for massage insurance coverage will offer business coverage options such as the following:
- Commercial Property insurance – Provides protection against natural disasters that affect your rented or leased commercial space.
- Business Personal Property insurance – If you own your business space, this will protect you from natural disasters, cover the cost of repairing damages, and sometimes also covers the equipment needed to run the business.
- Workers’ compensation insurance – Every employer should have this insurance in order to cover injuries that employees acquire while on the job. This is especially important in a physically taxing field like massage therapy.
Other Benefits and Add-Ons to Consider
It may seem like there couldn’t possibly be more policies to look for at this point, but all massage therapists should think about what is unique to their work. There may be specific elements that are not currently covered. Here are some examples:
- Travel – Not all massage insurance coverage offers protection no matter where you are, so if you travel often, you should look for policies that offer protection across state lines.
- Education – Some insurance benefits include free massage continuing education units (CEUs) and discounted gear to continue expanding your repertoire.
- Technique – Two modalities that are not always covered are hot stone massage and cupping, according to Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), so check with your insurance provider to make sure your therapy techniques are included.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
No matter if you’re looking solely for massage therapist insurance coverage or those with added business protection, it’s always worth knowing exactly what you’re getting. Having so many options can be overwhelming, but finding the right insurance isn’t just a safety precaution, it’s a way to ensure your future goals and success.
For that, there’s the simple, fast, and affordable coverage by NOW Insurance. Reach out and talk to one of our experts today.
Sources:
- Hartman Law Office. Massage Injury: Who Can Be Sued For Your Injury Caused By Massage Therapy? https://www.hartmanlawoffice.com/2018/12/21/massage-injury-who-can-be-sued-for-your-injury-caused-by-massage-therapy/
- National Association of Complementaryand Alternative Medicines. Massage Therapy Insurance. https://nacams.org/massage-therapists/
- ABMP. Insurance for Professional Massage Therapists. https://www.abmp.com/massage-liability-insurance