Massage Therapy Liability Insurance

Like any other business professionals, massage therapists are required to follow federal and state laws and regulations. Among these regulations is the requirement for insurance.

If one browses available openings for massage therapists, most employers require two things: a state license if the state in which the job is requires it, as well as massage therapy employers liability insurance. Most employers also require membership in a national massage therapy association.

Getting a state license can be a long process. One first has to complete all the coursework requirements, graduate from an approved school, file to take the national exam, take and pass the national exam, pay all sorts of fees, take the state exam if required, and complete innumerable pages of paperwork. Fortunately, finding massage therapy employers liability insurance is a much simpler process.

There are two major national associations that provide massage therapy liability insurance as part of their benefits. The first is the ABMP, or Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.

The ABMP massage therapy employers liability insurance includes three million dollars in professional liability, for example if a massage therapist is sued for malpractice. It covers another three million dollars in general liability, for example if someone gets a massage and as they are leaving trips on a rug and falls, injuring themselves. A third kind of massage therapy liability insurance the ABMP offers is an additional three million dollars in products liability, which covers for example a client's allergic reaction to one's lotion.

ABMP massage therapy liability insurance also includes legal defense coverage and premises fire damage coverage for renters. Their insurance also has the benefit of not expiring when or if your ABMP membership expires or lapses.

The second major association that provides massage therapy liability insurance is the AMTA, or American Massage Therapy Association. This association provides occurrence insurance, which covers the therapist as long as she or he has AMTA membership. It offers, for both professional AND general liability claims, up to two million dollars per incident, and up to six million dollars in aggregate coverage annually.

Each, of course, has its benefits and drawbacks. Some benefits that they share are that the insurance from each is of comparable quality. They both cover things like audits, harassment, discrimination, and malpractice. They also both offer additional equipment insurance at an extra cost. Moreover, both offer practice manuals, other written resources, on-line resources, and an on-line directory of professional massage therapists.

There are also alternatives for finding massage therapy liability insurance, like the International Massage Association or private insurance companies. Wherever you find your massage therapy liability insurance, just make sure that it's a good-quality insurance policy, and that it comes from a reputable institution.