Massage therapist insurance

What Type of Massage Therapist Insurance Do I Need?

What Does Massage Therapist Insurance Cover?

Depending on your business’s needs, the massage therapy insurance coverage you need will vary. Below are two policies we recommend for massage therapists:

Commercial General Liability Insurance

Commercial general liability (GL) insurance for massage therapists covers the costs associated with third-party accidents, property damage, bodily injury, and more. General liability insurance can also protect your massage therapist equipment in case of an accident or theft while you’re working.

If you don’t have GL insurance coverage, you will likely be responsible for any associated costs. Did you know that the average claim for property damage or accidents for small businesses is roughly $30,000? That $30,000 would come out of your bank account unless you’re insured, so it’s definitely important to have a comprehensive policy on your side.

Let’s say, for example, you’re moving into a new space in a medical spa, and you accidentally knock over and break a decorative statue in the lobby. The statue is worth a lot of money, and the owner of the spa is not happy.

So what do you do?

If you don’t have massage therapist liability insurance, you’d have to pay for the statue out of pocket. But if you do have a policy that covers these types of incidents, you won’t have to pay for replacement of the statue.

So what could a general liability insurance policy cover?

• Bodily injury to another person
• Third-party property damage
• Personal and advertising injury
• Medical expenses
• And more

Now check out what general liability insurance usually doesn’t cover:

• Damage to your own property
• Professional services
• Workers compensation or injury to your employees
• Damage to your work
• Automobiles while in business use
• Expected or iIntentional injury or damage
• And more

Workers Compensation Insurance

Most states require businesses that have employees (even part-time or temporary) to carry workers compensation insurance. This insurance, also known as workers comp, protects your business in the event an employee gets sick or injured while working.

For example, let’s say an employee of yours is moving a heavy massage table and drops a corner on their foot, which requires a visit to the hospital to get their foot evaluated, resulting in medical bills and a few weeks of physical therapy. Rather than your business paying for those bills, your workers comp insurance saves the day. Your workers compensation policy also covers other expenses like time missed from work.

The financial impact of not having workers compensation insurance can be devastating to a business. In 2018, the average medically consulted work injury cost was $41,000. That’s a lot of money to pay out of pocket on the spot.

Workers compensation insurance for massage therapists can cover:

• Medical payments
• Lost wages
• Rehabilitation expenses
• Death benefits

Why Should I Get Massage Therapy Insurance?

You may be thinking, “Another business expense? Do I really need to add this to my plate?” We get it — the last thing you want to do is add another expense to your list, especially if you’re still getting your business up and running.

But the cost of accidents, injuries, lawsuits, theft, and other incidents far outweigh the cost of an insurance policy. Plus, if workers comp insurance is required in your state, you might wind up paying hefty fines without that coverage. What may seem like a big cost now will pale in comparison to what you might have to pay if you don’t have massage therapist insurance.

Consider the costs of the most common small business liability claims:

• Reputational harm = $50,000
• Vehicle accident = $45,000
• Fire = $35,000
• Customer injury or damage = $30,000
• Burglary and theft = $8,000

What’s more, if you’re sued by a customer (even if you did nothing wrong), you could be facing some hefty legal fees. An average of between 36% and 53% of small businesses encounter at least one litigation, so you want to make sure you’re covered.

You could be the safest, most responsible massage therapist in the business, but unfortunately, accidents still do happen. That’s why you should consider purchasing massage therapy insurance.

Accidents and lawsuits aside, carrying proof of massage therapist insurance can have a significant impact on the growth of your business, such as:

• Renting a room or space for your practice
• Convincing other massage therapists to work with you
• Earning customers’ confidence
• Opening another location
• And more!

When you purchase massage therapist insurance through Simply Business, we’ll give you a certificate of insurance (COI), so you can start providing proof of coverage.