A Question About Insurance – Why Should We Bother ?
In order to work in any health service, including the provision of massage therapy services, you should have public liability and professional indemnity insurance to protect you against potential legal action from clients. This can also be said for small business owners who are working from home, are mobile therapists or running a clinic, spa or retail front massage therapy store.
As a therapist, you are giving “hands-on” treatment to clients. You are making an assessment and treatment plan in conjunction with the client to bring about improved wellbeing. While you may use an Intake Indemnity Form or have a disclaimer statement for your clients to sign before treatment, this does not necessarily free you from the risks involved both as a practitioner or as a wellbeing professional practice. Regardless of how well you plan and manage your business, you will need insurance.
What kind of insurance ? That depends on your level of qualifications, the nature of your wellness business, its size and financial turnover.
Insurance cover across Australia can vary between States, but in general terms there are three types of insurance considerations.
- Malpractice insurance:
This type of insurance can protect you against costs arising from accidental injury to a client arising from your treatment. - Public liability insurance:
This insurance protects you against costs associated with an accident on your premises (rented or home), where a client or other person working in your premises injures themselves. This could be a fall on stairs, slipping on the floor, tripping over an item,an so on. If the client or person in your premises sustains an injury they could make a claim for financial compensation. You could be held responsible for the injury. - Products liability insurance
A number of therapists and wellness centres now on-sell or recommend a range of products that are either used in the treatment or sold as a take-home product. This could be an aromatherapy blend you have created, a relaxation 0il you have prepared or a post treatment leaflet, and so on. Should a client experience injury or harm as a result of these products, like an allergic reaction, skin abrasion etc, this type of insurance could cover you against the financial cost. This insurance type requires that as long as the product is created and prepared by you and dispensed or used by you in the course of the treatment, you could be covered. However, this is not the case if the product is sold or distributed by a third party from your front desk, i.e. commercial skin care products. - Business Insurance
If you are running a clinic, wellness centre or spa that employs massage therapists and practitioners, your insurance coverage requirements are different to therapists who operate as sole traders. Your liabilities as an employer, property manager, practice manager and even perhaps retailer, requires business insurance. This would also include centres that offer teaching opportunities or student clinic services.Also as a sole practitioner, if you are also retailing or wholesaling product lines as part of your business approach, like doTERRA or Healthy Living, your insurance requirements should include a business component.
Where does this leave us on the question of insurance ?
As a professional, who is “hands on” in the natural health industry, there can be no question about the need for insurance coverage. This is also particularly true if you are also seeking approval to provide clients with a health rebate from health insurers.
