Montana Massage Liability Insurance Guidelines

If you are a practicing massage therapist or bodyworker in the state of Montana, you are no doubt familiar with the licensing regulations that have been in effect since July 2010. While the Montana Board of Massage Therapy does now require all massage therapists to be accredited and licensed, an often under-emphasized aspect of your professional career is the importance of being insured. Although it may be an unpleasant thing to think about, accidents can and do happen, and if you were ever named in a liability lawsuit, it could quite possibly threaten your livelihood.

Even if you’re not guilty of any wrongdoing, it can still be very expensive to defend yourself in court (should you be named in a lawsuit). The potential expense involved in legally defending yourself is much too great of a risk for your massage therapy practice to remain uninsured.

So what exactly would a typical massage therapist insurance policy cover? The three primary categories that are covered in the average insurance policy for LMTs are professional liability (malpractice accusations), general liability (negligence resulting in client injury), and product liability (injury due to products used by MT). Most massage practitioner policies will offer anywhere between $1 million to $2 million worth of coverage per incident per year, with annual aggregate coverage typically ranging between $2 million and $3 million.

It is important to do your due diligence before settling on a particular insurance carrier, ensuring that the insurance company backing the policy is financially strong. You should look for companies that carry a rating of “A” or better.

Although it is highly possible that you could go through your entire career and never have one incident or lawsuit (and that would indeed be fantastic), it’s better to stay on the safe side and procure some solid insurance coverage. Every profession will carry some degree of risk, and if you choose to forgo getting insurance, you’re assuming the responsibility for any major losses that may occur in your business. Since it’s virtually impossible to predict risk, it is a much more prudent move for you to pass any potentially catastrophic risk on to a massage liability insurance carrier and keep your peace of mind.

The following are Montana state resources, including some employment statistics, to help you determine if being a massage therapist is right for you:

Montana Massage Therapy Resources:

State of Montana massage employment statistics as of May, 2017:
Licensed Therapists: 140 (does not include all independent contractors)
Mean Hourly Wage: $18.39
Annual Mean Wage: $38,250
Source: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mt.htm

Education Requirements
Required Education Hours: 500 hours
Exam Administered: MBLEx
CEUs Required: 12 hours every 2 years 
Source: https://www.massagetherapylicense.org/state/montana-massage-license.html

Other Requirements: Liability Insurance
For one low flat fee, massage therapists can receive the quality, comprehensive coverage they deserve, avoiding the costly impact that a lawsuit can bring. Even the most careful massage therapists can make a mistake, or encounter one of those hard-to-please clients that finds fault in a treatment, even if nothing really went wrong.
Application Process: Online Application for immediate approval.

For additional information about massage therapy in Montana, follow these links:
State massage association: MONTANA BOARD OF MASSAGE THERAPY
State employment stats: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mt.htm

Compare Montana’s massage therapist employment statistics to other states:
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319011.htm