Professional Massage Insurance Coverage

Massage liability insurance protects you from the financial fallout when something goes wrong, whether it's your fault or not. Think of it as your safety net for the unexpected.

There are two main types of coverage you need:

• Professional liability insurance (also called malpractice insurance or errors and omissions insurance) covers claims that your massage services caused harm to a client. Example scenarios include a deep tissue session that left bruising, or a client claiming your technique aggravated their injury. Even if you did everything right, defending yourself in court can be costly, often tens of thousands of dollars. Professional liability covers your legal defense and any settlements or judgments.
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• General liability insurance covers accidents that aren't directly related to your massage work. A client trips over your massage table leg and breaks their wrist. Someone slips on your freshly mopped floor. Your essential oil diffuser tips over and ruins a client's designer handbag. These are general liability claims.

The bottom line is that Massage insurance protects your career, savings, and peace of mind. One lawsuit without coverage could wipe out years of hard work.

Here's the breakdown:

• 2-year policy: $299 total — our best value, saves you $39
• 1-year full-time policy: $169 — most popular option
• 1-year part-time policy: $159 — for therapists working under 10 hands-on hours per week

Now compare that to what you'd pay out of pocket for just one claim:

• Minor slip and fall: $5,000–$15,000
• Hot stone burn injury: $25,000–$40,000
• Massage table accident: $30,000–$50,000
• Deep tissue injury claim: $50,000–$150,000
• Legal defense fees alone: $10,000–$50,000

For about the cost of a couple of lattes per month, you protect yourself from potentially career-ending financial liability. That's a no-brainer.

Yes. Hot stone massage is fully covered under your Massage Magazine Insurance Plus policy— no special certifications required.

We also cover other higher-risk modalities that some insurance companies exclude or charge extra for:

• Cupping therapy (vacuum cupping, fire cupping, traditional Chinese cupping)
• Deep tissue massage
• Sports massage and injury rehabilitation
• Trigger point therapy
• Myofascial release
• Thai massage with assisted stretching
• Prenatal and postnatal massage
• Ashiatsu (barefoot massage)

If you're licensed or certified to practice these techniques in your state, you're covered. Period. We don't make you jump through hoops or pay extra premiums for doing your job.

Hot stone burns are one of the most common massage insurance claims, with settlements often exceeding $25,000–$30,000. Having coverage for this modality isn't optional; it's essential.

Instantly. Like, right now.

When you purchase your Massage Magazine Insurance policy online, you can download your certificate of insurance immediately. Your policy goes into effect immediately, and you'll have 24/7 access to your member portal, where you can download certificates anytime you need them.

Need to email proof of insurance to a spa owner or landlord at 11 PM on a Sunday? No problem. Log in, download, send. Done.

We also offer free certificates of insurance (some companies charge for these). Need to add your employer or landlord as an additional insured? We can usually process that within 24 hours, M-F.

Allergic reactions—whether from oils, lotions, or tools—fall under professional liability. MMIP has covered real claims like this, including a $16,446 allergic reaction incident listed in our claims examples.

Yes. Accidents caused by faulty equipment or unexpected slips fall under general liability. Our covered claims include a $175,100 massage table accident—a reminder of how unpredictable in-person work can be.

Yes. Here's why:

Most employers require you to carry your own liability insurance before they'll let you work. It's often a condition of employment or independent contractor agreements. Even if your employer has insurance, their policy protects the business—not you personally.

If a client sues both you and the spa you work for, the spa's insurance will defend the spa. You'll need your own coverage to defend yourself. And if you're found liable, any judgment or settlement comes out of your pocket unless you have your own policy.

Additionally, your personal Massage Magazine Insurance Plus plan follows you wherever you go. Work at three different locations? Do mobile massages on weekends? Teach a workshop at a yoga studio? Your coverage follows you everywhere in the United States.

Think of it this way:  your massage license is yours, not your employer's. The same goes for your insurance. Protect yourself.

An Additional Insured endorsement (AIE) extends your liability coverage to name a third party, usually your employer, landlord, spa owner, or facility where you practice.

Here's a common scenario: You rent treatment space from a Spa. The commercial lease requires anyone working in the building to name the property owner as an additional insured on their liability policy. You add the property owner to your policy, and now they're protected under your coverage if a claim involves both you and the additional insured.

Employers often require this too. If you work as an independent contractor at a spa, the spa owner might require you to name them as an additional insured. This protects them from liability related to your work.

Massage Magazine Insurance Plus Additional Insured Pricing:

• One additional insured: $10/year
• Unlimited additional insureds: $30/year

Adding an additional insured is simple, fill out the form here and a member of our team will contact you by phone within 48 hours to collect payment.

Absolutely. Your Massage Magazine Insurance Plus policy follows you wherever you work: clients' homes, hotels, corporate offices, events, health fairs, you name it.

We provide coverage in all 50 states with no location restrictions. Whether you practice in a brick-and-mortar clinic, run a mobile massage business, or do a mix of both, you're covered.

Mobile massage therapists face unique risks, unfamiliar environments, clients' pets, slippery floors, awkward spaces. Your policy covers all of it. If a client's dog knocks over your massage table, you're covered. If you slip on their icy driveway on the way to their door, you're covered.

No need to notify us when you travel to different locations. No geographic restrictions within the US. Just complete, portable protection.

We cover 500+ massage, bodywork, and wellness modalities.

Here are some of the most common:

• Traditional Massage: Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, prenatal massage, geriatric massage, chair massage, hot stone massage, cold stone massage, aromatherapy massage
• Asian Bodywork: Shiatsu, Thai massage, acupressure, Tui Na, reflexology, Ayurvedic massage, Jin Shin Jyutsu
• Energy Work:Reiki, healing touch, polarity therapy, craniosacral therapy, chakra balancing
• Specialized Techniques: Myofascial release, trigger point therapy, neuromuscular therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, cupping therapy (vacuum, fire, traditional), kinesiology, applied kinesiology, orthopedic massage
• Clinical & Medical: Medical massage, oncology massage, post-surgical massage, scar tissue massage, rehabilitation massage
• Movement & Structural: Rolfing/structural integration, Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique, Trager Approach, Hellerwork
• Spa & Wellness: Body wraps, body scrubs, hydrotherapy, spa treatments, facial massage, scalp massage
• Additional Modalities: Lomi Lomi, Watsu, Ashiatsu (barefoot massage), bamboo massage, Gua Sha, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), Graston Technique, Active Release Technique (ART), muscle energy technique, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)

Can't find your modality on this list? We probably cover it! Click here to look through our entire list of over 500 modalities.

Yes. Your general liability protection extends to client injuries that occur in the space where you actively provide services.

No. You do not need to be a member of a professional association in order to purchase a MMIP insurance membership. Our coverage is open and accessible to all massage and wellness professionals who meet their state’s massage practice requirements and laws.

MMIP provides an easy state-by-state licensing resource so you can stay up to date with your state’s rules and ensure you remain compliant as you practice.

Visit our Massage State Requirement Resource Center anytime for additional guidance.