Therapist Insurance

What is therapist insurance?

Getting the right insurance is a crucial job for any therapist. Your insurance protects your business and your livelihood in a number of circumstances, so it’s important to get it right.

However, working as a therapist often means you’re busy helping clients or planning new treatments, which can make finding the time to compare therapist insurance policies tricky.

As the term therapist can cover a wide range of practices, from acupuncture to alternative medicine, reiki to reflexology, it’s vital to understand the risks and get the right cover.

Who needs therapist insurance?

Therapist insurance is available for a wide range of therapist disciplines. The specifics of each policy may vary, but generally, if you offer any of the following, you should seek out specialist therapist cover:

• Talking therapies
• Massage therapy
• Holistic treatments
• Counselling
• Hypnotherapy
• Beauty therapy
• Speech therapy
• Acupuncture
• Reiki
• Waxing
• Sports therapy
• Homoeopathy
• Nutritional therapy
• Trainer and fitness instructor

What type of cover do therapists need?

Public liability insurance

This type of cover is a must for any business that deals with members of the public. It protects you and your clients.

Even with the best will in the world, sometimes accidents do happen. All it takes is for a client to trip over in your clinic, and you could be facing a hefty claim for compensation.

Public liability insurance will pay out if a member of the public is hurt by your business. It will also cover claims for any damage a third party suffers to their property. For example, if you knock over an expensive vase while treating a client in their home.

Professional treatment liability insurance for therapists

Under most circumstances, your treatments will leave your clients feeling better in the end. However, occasionally a client could claim that during the course of your therapy or treatment, they were injured or hurt.

For example, a client could react badly to massage oil or have an allergic reaction. Or claim that your massage left them in pain and unable to move.

In these situations, you will need professional treatment liability insurance to defend any claim brought. The cover means that you won’t be left out of pocket, and can relax giving your treatments with complete peace of mind.

Personal accident cover

If you’re involved in an accident or injure yourself even outside of work, you might find it very tricky to carry on offering your therapy services. If you’re injured and unable to work for any reason, personal accident cover will provide a lump sum payout, or a weekly or monthly amount for an agreed period while you recover.

Employers’ liability cover for therapists

If you work independently, you will not need employer liability insurance. However, if you employ any staff at all – even students, trainees or apprentices – by law you are required to have this insurance.

It protects you and your staff and covers the costs of any claims against you. A claim, for example for unfair dismissal or an accident at work, can even be made by ex-employees, so it’s vital to make sure your business is protected.

What other insurance is available for therapy businesses?

If you are looking for added protection, your insurance provider may be able to add additional coverage to your therapist’s insurance policy. Check the policy wording carefully to ensure it is suitable for your circumstances before committing to anything.

• Business premises insurance

Obviously, this will not apply if you work on a mobile basis, or from your own home. If you operate a clinic, it’s important to insure your premises against theft, fire or flood damage or other accidental damage.

• Stock and contents insurance

Replacing your stock could leave you seriously out of pocket if you offer a therapy which needs a lot of products, for example, beauty therapists. The stock cover protects you, so that if you find you need to replace all your stock due to theft or accidental damage then you’re not left footing the bill.

• Professional indemnity insurance

This is sometimes known as a professional malpractice insurance. It’s important to have this type of insurance if a client claims that a service or treatment you have provided has caused them a loss as a direct result, or that you have been negligent.

For example, if your client’s confidential counselling records were accidentally shared causing them to lose their job, or a laser hair removal treatment went wrong causing permanent scarring, you could be held liable.

The policy would cover any financial compensation ordered by a court.

How much does it cost?

There is no one set price for cover. The cost of your policy will depend on the level of coverage you need, along with factors like the size of your business and the type of therapies you offer.

The best way to save money on therapist insurance is to always compare quotes from different providers. Make sure you are not paying for cover that you don’t need. You could also try and pay your annual sum upfront, as this often works out cheaper than spreading the cost by paying monthly.

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