Do you have a massage therapy business or are thinking about opening one? Although it may not be your primary concern, choosing a good liability insurance for your company is crucial. Massage therapists are considered health care professionals and are posed with some level of risk to themselves and their clients. These risks can include a customer getting injured in your business or injuring a client during treatment. These risks can be avoided when you have insurance. In this article, we outline the top insurances for massage therapists.
American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)
American Massage Therapy Association offers a variety of insurance options to protect the livelihood and operation of massage therapy businesses. This organization is very involved in the massage therapist community and has advocated for key issues at the federal, state, and local levels of government.
What is AMTA?
Founded in 1943, American Massage Therapy Association is a nonprofit and professional association that has been serving massage therapists. This organization includes massage therapists at all levels such as certified massage therapists, massage therapist students, and massage schools. Due to this, AMTA prides itself on the strong community they have built and actively participates in advocating for better laws around this profession. This association provides students in pursuing massage therapy school resources, job opportunities, and much more.
AMTA has chapters in all 50 states, along with DC and US Virgin Islands, and membership fees are $235 per year. In order to join this organization, one has to have at least 500 hours of approved educational training and have a massage license in a regulated state or approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).
What Does AMTA Offer?
AMTA offers three different types of insurance: professional & graduates insurance, student liability insurance, and school insurance program. For AMTA, most popular insurance (their liability insurance), it covers $2 million per occurrence and up to $6 million aggregate per member annually. If this amount does not suffice, AMTA also has a Master Policy which has an aggregate limit of $10 million per calendar year. Moreover, for their professional liability coverage, AMTA states they cover 12 different types of liabilities (spanning from communicable diseases to good samaritan liability) as well as 2 general liability coverage.
Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP)
Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals is a national membership organization that services massage and bodywork practitioners throughout the nation. ABMP are active advocates for massage therapists and bodywork practitioners at the state and federal levels. ABMP hosts annual conferences for massage educators and students to further grow and strengthen their community.
What is ABMP?
Founded in 1987, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals has strived to further educate and foster the massage therapy community. This organization offers three main types of insurance catering to massage therapists, massage students, and massage schools. ABMP offers many educational resources for its members and provides professional support as well. Moreover, ABMP has a unique offering in which they cover massage therapists who are also qualified skincare professionals.
ABMP has memberships in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In order to possess membership, one must have a valid massage license from a regulated state, have at least 500 hours of approved educational training, and or be certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). Moreover, a member must continue their education by completing at least 16 hours of training every two years. If a professional or practitioner is certified by a regulated state their membership is $199 per year. However, if one has at least 100 hours in educational training in an unregulated state, they can apply to be a certified member for $229 per year. Lastly, if one is solely a skincare professional the membership is also $229 per year.
What Does ABMP Offer?
Similar to AMTA, ABMP offers three types of insurance for massage therapists, massage students, and massage schools. For their liability insurance, it covers up to $2 million per incident and $6 million total per policy year. What is unique about this coverage is that the totals are per member for each year, not a shared member aggregate. Moreover, this insurance covers legal defense coverage.
AMTA vs. ABMP
You may be wondering which insurance policy will best fulfill your needs. Let’s break down each insurance plan's pros and cons.
Pros
Here are some of each program's advantages and what differentiates them from each other.
AMTA:
- Extensive coverage and runs in all 50 states
- Provides hands-on continuing education programs
- No increase in membership price
- Local chapter career support and networking opportunities
ABMP:
- $199 per year for certified massage therapists in regulated states
- Liability insurance not subject to a shared member aggregate
- Offers membership to skincare professionals
- More than 50 member discounts with partners
Cons
Here are some of each program's disadvantages and what differentiates them from each other.
AMTA:
- Insurance coverage is subjected to share member aggregate
- $235 per year in membership fees
- More requirements to become a member
ABMP:
- For profit organization with less local chapters
- Level of membership varies depending on hours of training and residency in an unregulated state
- Fluctuation in fees depending on level of membership
Who is AMTA Best Suited For?
One should use AMTA if they are looking for a local community to join regardless of where they live. This non-profit organization focuses on building a community along with giving ‘A’ rated massage liability insurance. Moreover, their hands-on continuing education opportunities adds a unique factor to this organization.
Who is ABMP Best Suited For?
One should use ABMP if they are looking for a less expensive insurance option while residing in one of their regulated states. ABMP also has a wider range of professionals they can cater to, such as massage therapists with less educational training hours and skincare professionals.
Choose the Insurance Best for You
When choosing insurance, figure out what are your top priorities regarding coverage and community. Depending on your own set of needs, ABMP or AMTA may be a good choice. This all varies on what you are looking for and your completed educational training hours. Keep updated on the latest news with Benzinga!
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