There are several kinds of massage therapy insurance available for massage therapists. Buying insurance for massage therapy is a must for anyone in the business.
Massage Insurance Regulations
Legally, not all massage therapists are required to carry massage therapy insurance; liability insurance requirements vary by state. There is, unfortunately, no one set standard for insurance for massage therapists. This means that there is also no one set rate, and that costs for insurances for massage therapists can vary greatly by state and/or region. However, even in states where massage therapy insurance is not required, it is always in the best interest of the therapist to carry the protection of insurance so that they do not find themselves in a financial bind should something arise.
Types Of Massage Therapy Insurance
Massage therapy insurance is not limited to liability insurance, although liability is probably the greatest concern for massage therapists. There are a number of optional insurances that are available to therapists for their own personal safety. Other than massage therapy liability insurance, therapists should also consider purchasing
• Health insurance, if self-employed or not employer-provided
• Property insurance for home and/or business (particularly if maintaining an in-home office where clients will be visiting
• Renters/lease insurance if renting office space (to cover loss of equipment and products)
• Business insurance
• Dental insurance
• Automobile insurance (again, particularly important if the vehicle is used for mobile services)
• Disability insurance that will cover expenses should the therapist become unable to work
Buying Massage Therapy Insurance
There are different ways a therapist can purchase insurance for personal and professional purposes related to a massage therapy business.
Local insurance agents may be able to access the different types of insurances needed for personal and professional protection. Many times, though, offerings will be limited and/or very general in nature, and in many cases massage practice insurances will be higher from local agents because they do not have a large number of clients and therapists will be forced to buy massage insurance on an individual basis.
Most massage therapists find it is best to buy massage therapy insurance through a professional organization. Professional organizations and massage therapy associations have the advantage of expertise; this means they know precisely what insurance a therapist can and should carry, including what limits and protections are necessary. Professional organizations also have the advantage of size; larger groups formed by members have larger buying power. This means that policies purchased through professional massage associations are usually the cheapest to be had.
Obtaining the right kinds of massage therapy insurance is essential to both personal and professional security. Insurance ensures that no accident (whether therapy-related or otherwise) causes a business to be lost.