As a massage therapist, you’re running a business that is already more intimate than most. That’s why massage insurance is so important. Not only is this an ideal way to protect everything you’ve worked so hard to build from lawsuits filed by a client, but it also helps defend against the ramifications of negligence, error or even physical injury.
But what makes the best liability insurance for massage therapists the “best”? Why is this type of coverage so important in the first place? Read on to find out.
General Massage Liability Insurance: Breaking Things Down
One of the most important things to understand about massage insurance coverage is that, depending on where you live, you may actually need to carry this type of policy to even get your massage therapy license in the first place. As of 2019, these states include:
- South Dakota, which also requires a policy limit of at least $250,000.
- Wisconsin, which requires a policy limit of at least $1 million.
- Indiana, which does not have a specific policy limit.
- Alabama, which also requires a $1 million policy limit.
- Massachusetts, again with a $1 million policy limit.
Running a business in this type of field brings with it a certain degree of risk. Someone has come to you with help for an existing health condition, and you may end up making that condition worse. You could cause injury or someone could simply trip and fall when trying to leave your physical place of business– you just don’t know.
This is why, even if you’re operating in one of the many states that do NOT require liability massage therapy insurance to get your massage therapy license, taking the initiative and getting such a policy will always be a good idea.
While these types of policies will always have subtle differences depending on your provider, generally speaking, they all work the same way:
- You’re talking about a comprehensive form of insurance that offers coverage in the case of injury OR damage caused by your normal massage therapy operations, any products that you’re using to perform your work, or on your premises.
- Policies may include professional liability (malpractice) and/or general liability (trip & fall claims, product liability). In order to be properly covered, you need both!
- Policies will be provided under either a “claims made” or “occurrence” basis. This relates to the date trigger for an injury to be covered–in either case, the injury needs to occur while a policy is in place, but under a “claims made” policy, the claim must also be made while the policy is still in place.
- You’ll also want to take great care to make sure that the type of work you’re actually performing is covered by any policy you select. Things like hot stone massaging and cupping, for example, are not necessarily going to be a standard inclusion of every single policy. Always check with your provider to guarantee that you have a policy built with your specific business in mind.
Takeaways:
- Not every state requires liability insurance to get your massage therapy license, but there are many that do – all with specific policy limits.
- Even still, getting a policy is always a good idea because it protects you in a number of situations, many of which you can’t anticipate.
- The best professional insurance for massage therapists will cover the specific type of work you’re actually doing – such a policy would include provisions for hot stone massage and cupping, for example, rather than blanket “catch-all” terms.
Best Massage Liability Insurance
If you’d like to find out more information about liability insurance for massage therapist businesses, or if you have any additional questions that you’d like to discuss with someone in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact Marine Agency Insurance today. We’re one of the top insurance companies in the bodywork industry. We’ll be sure to get you the best massage liability policy for your business!
