Massage Therapist Insurance

Massage therapist insurance is so necessary. Fortunately, it is not difficult to understand.

There are seven basic kinds you will need. This is something that you, as a medical professional, should not be caught without.

As a self-employed massage therapist, you will need professional liability protection as well as business liability coverage.

Don't forget business personal property coverage if you want to protect necessities such as your massage table, massage chair, and computer. A good agent can help you to meet all of your business protection needs.

Then there is your own personal health coverage and, of course, disability coverage to protect your income if you get ill or injured and are unable to work.

A life insurance policy is to provide protection for your family if you should die.

Auto coverage is a necessity.

Contact a knowledgable insurance agent for help with your coverage needs. An agent will have price quotes and will be able to hook you up with the right policies for you personally and for your business.

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is malpractice coverage or "errors and omission coverage" and it covers any costs that you, the massage therapist, are responsible for that come about from your professional activities. This is something you should carry because it protects you from lawsuits.

If you, as a massage therapist get sued, your insurance carrier will pay one of its attorneys to represent you in court and defend you. It will pay a judgment against you up to the limit amount of your policy. So be sure to read the policy carefully before you sign up.

You may be held responsible for mistakes you make while giving a massage, like bruising the client or other damage to the client's soft tissue.

It can be purchased affordably through professional massage associations and it is required in most states.

An important note--This will not cover you, the business owner, or your employees if you or they are injured. It only covers your clients.

It is important to note that there are very few malpractice suits against massage therapists. People like what we do! But maintaining a professional liability policy is wise and is a necessary massage therapist insurance.

You should not practice massage without this important policy!

Business Liability

Business liability is another needed massage therapist insurance. Here's why. Business liability or premise liability covers your responsibility costs that are the result of bodily injury, damage of personal property, and personal injury to the client when he/she is on your premises. So if something happens while a client is on your property, you are covered. You do not want to lose everything you own because of one accident. Once again, business liability coverage will give you protection against lawsuits. It will also pay settlement costs.

Let's say that you have a massage office in your home. Your client parks her car in your driveway and comes in for her massage. When she leaves the house after her massage, she notices that a baseball went through her windshield and is sitting on the driver's seat. Guess who is responsible?

That is right--you are!

Or let's say the same client comes to your house for her massage and slips and falls as she is coming up the concrete steps to your front door. Can you guess who is going to pay for damages?

Right again! You are because it happened on your property but your regular home owner's policy will not cover either of these examples because the lady is a business client and not a guest.

In both cases it will be your responsibility unless you have business liability coverage. You will also need professional liability insurance with the business liability coverage. It is a wise policy to have both types of coverage to protect your bank account and your personal belongings. Make sure that you get this coverage prior to allowing any clients on your property.

Business Personal Property

Business personal property insurance is another very important and practical type of massage therapist insurance. This type of massage therapist insurance covers the cost of things used in your business like your computer, massage table, massage chair, stereo, furniture, supplies, and important documents--your clients' files.

Business personal property usually provides coverage in case of theft, fire, or flood. However, you will want to look the policy over carefully as it is now more difficult, at least in Texas, to get flood insurance because of all the cases of mold that we have had in recent years.

If you have a home-based business, chances are your home-owner's insurance will not cover your business property. You can most likely purchase a rider under your homeowner's insurance for business personal property coverage.

If you work out of an office, not at home, you will need to purchase a separate policy to cover your personal property at the office.

Personal Health Insurance

Massage therapist insurance for your own personal health needs is a must-have for a self-employed massage therapist. We never know what might happen so it is important to be prepared. You could get very ill and require hospitalization. Without medical coverage, a catastrophic bill could wipe you out both in your personal and business bank accounts. Do not chance it!

If you are self-employed and are not covered under your spouse's medical policy, you will need to purchase an individual medical policy. They are a bit pricey, but so worth it in the long run.

Make sure the policy covers physician and hospital bills, along with prescription drugs. You can also get dental and vision coverage. Of course, the more you add to it, the more expensive your massage therapist insurance will be.

Ask the agent about deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. Also, ask about the prices for indemnity (which you do not see too much of these days), PPO plans, and HMO plans. The agent should be able to explain the differences in coverage between these plans. If not, find a different agent, one who knows the insurance industry and can get the right insurance plan to fit your budget and your lifestyle.

Disability Insurance

Disability insurance can be a wonderful massage therapist insurance if you, as a therapist, become disabled and cannot work. Disability coverage provides you with a percentage of your income each week that you are not able to work due to an illness or injury. As a therapist, you work with your hands much of the time. What will happen if you break an arm or a leg? How about if you need surgery and the doctor will not release you to go back to work for 6 weeks? Who pays the bills while you are healing?

If you are self-employed with no other income, disability insurance is great to have. This type of massage therapist insurance is very affordable. This coverage is actually protecting your income so you can continue to recover and not worry about having to return to work too soon and jeopardize your health.

If you choose not to have this type of massage therapist insurance coverage, you will need to make sure that you always have at least six months of personal living expenses in the bank just in case something happens and you are unable to work. If not, you could lose more than your massage business. You could lose your home and vehicle as well. Please be sure and get this valuable massage therapist insurance protection.

Life Insurance

What can I say about the importance of life insurance for you? This type of massage therapist insurance coverage is not to benefit you, the massage therapist. It is for your loved ones. It is a loving way to provide for them when you cannot be there. This policy will pay to bury you, yes, but it can be so much more.

This type of massage therapist insurance can pay the bills when you are no longer there to earn money as a massage therapist. It can pay off the mortgage, vehicle, and any student loans you might have. It can give your spouse and/or children peace of mind knowing that they will not be forced out into the street because they cannot make the house payments.

As a consideration for those most important to you, please get a good life insurance policy. There is whole coverage which can be pretty expensive and there is term coverage which is much more affordable. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Your agent should be able to explain the differences.

The cost will depend upon which type you choose, your age, sex, health, and whether or not you smoke. Try to get the largest policy you can afford.

Then you will need to choose one or more beneficiaries. A beneficiary is the person or persons who will get the money when you die. Usually, it will go to your spouse and/or your children.

Make sure your family is taken care of if something happens to you. When a family goes through grief, they should not have to worry about money as well.

Auto Insurance

Auto insurance and massage therapy--do they go together? Yes. Vehicle insurance is something that you should already have if you have a car, truck, or SUV because it is the law. Accidents happen when you least expect them to so always try to be prepared!

However, if you travel to and from a client's home or to and from your office, some states require that you purchase business coverage for your vehicle. This makes sense if you are using your vehicle for business.

Make sure that you carry full insurance coverage on your vehicle so you can continue to work if your car is in a wreck. If you can afford the higher auto insurance rates, try to get a low deductible. You will lose a lot of money that could be important to your massage therapy business if you cannot get to and from your office or to and from your clients' homes.

Try to get massage therapist insurance coverage that includes the cost of a rental car while your car is being repaired due to the accident as well. It should also include replacement coverage on your business equipment like your massage table and chair if they are damaged in an accident.

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