Nebraska Massage Liability Insurance Guidelines

State Requirements Massage therapy is fast becoming recognized as a viable alternative treatment for many conditions, including back or neck pain. These highly trained professionals go through hours of school and practical experience before becoming licensed. It is important to understand how to become a licensed massage therapist, and more importantly, to understand why having insurance is so important to the massage professional.

What is Nebraska Massage Insurance?

Most people know what malpractice or liability insurance is. Massage liability insurance often provides three main areas of coverage:

· Product liability. The client will have claimed some reaction or harm has come to them through the use of a product such as a type of massage oil.

· Professional liability. This covers the business or its employees from claims of malpractice, which is the improper or negligent activity.

· General liability. This covers any negligence by the business or employee.

Because we live in such a “sue-happy” culture right now, it is important to have this insurance. Many of the insurance companies that cover massage provide legal assistance in case there is a claim made. This legal representation can mean the difference of continuing in business or having to find a new line of work.

Educational Requirements

In Nebraska, you must have 1,000 hours of training and it must be over a period of time of not less than 9 months. This classroom training must consist of:

700 hours in course study, with 100 hours in each these following areas:

Anatomy. This may include but is not limited to structure of the human body, study of cells, bones, tissues, organs systems, muscles, embryology, kinesiology, biomechanics, et cetera.
Health Service Management. This may include, but is not limited to professional ethics, business practices, legalities of massage, promotion, employment opportunities, oral presentations, marketing plans, sales techniques, telephone techniques, resumes, bookkeeping, financial management, insurance coverage, networking, interview techniques, et cetera. These hours must be gained under the direct supervision of an LMT.
Hydrotherapy. This may include: history, benefits of water treatment, cryotherapy, body wraps/masks, salt flows, body scrubs therapeutic water modalities, hot packs, steam cabinets, methods of cold application, heat application, et cetera. This also must be in a class setting under the direct supervision of an LMT.
Hygiene and Practical Demonstration.
- A. Hygiene may include the physiology of digestion, herbal therapy, nutrition, food combining, supplementation, wellness, hygiene principles and practices, CPR, equipment sanitation, infectious and contagious disease control. These must be taught by an LMT.
- B. Practical Demonstration may include various massage techniques and demonstrations, hands-on training, student clinic hours. Must be taught by a licensed massage practitioner.
Massage. History of massage, benefits, physiology of massage equipment and procedures, psychology of massage, interpersonal client contact, relaxation and visualization, proper draping, general guidelines, principles of body massage. These must be taught by an LMT.
Pathology. Definition of pathology and disease, pharmacology, pathology of body systems, disease entities including cause and effect, et cetera. Must be taught by a person with the appropriate training in the subject matter.
Physiology. Endocrinology, hormonal interactional with the balance and metabolism of the body, function of the human body, organ systems, kinesiology, et cetera.

300 Hours: this must be obtained in subject areas that are related to the clinical practice of therapeutic massage. This may include: reflexology, deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, sports massage, pregnancy and infant massage, physiology and psychology of exercise, acupressure therapy, management techniques, stress and practices, hands-on training, review of health histories and documentation.

Examination Requirements for Licensure

You must successfully complete either of these two examinations:

· National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) OR

· Federal State Massage Therapy (FSMTB)

To be considered for state reciprocity, you must successfully pass the board-developed jurisprudence examination with a score of at least 75%.

The state of Nebraska has some of the most stringent guidelines and licensing requirements for massage therapists. With this in mind, once you earn your license, don’t forget to protect it and the earning power it brings you by adding massage practitioner insurance to your overall business insurance.

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

Nebraska Massage Therapy Resources:

State of Nebraska massage employment statistics as of May, 2017:
Licensed Therapists: 1,271
Mean Hourly Wage: $18.31
Annual Mean Wage: $38,090
Source: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ne.htm

Education Requirements
Required Education Hours: 1000 hours
Exam Administered: MBLEx and a State Jurisprudence Examination
CEUs Required: 24 hours every 2 years
Source: https://www.massagetherapylicense.org/state/nebraska-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.
Required To Have Insurance: NO
Application Process: Online Application for immediate approval.

For additional information about massage therapy in Nebraska, follow these links:
State massage association: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
State employment stats: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ne.htm

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

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