Fraud Blocker

A Guide to Insurance for Massage Therapists in Manitoba & Across Canada: What You Need To Know

August 3, 2021
Updated: September 30, 2023

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Good to know: We’re based in Manitoba, so in this post, we sometimes speak directly to Manitoba RMTs. But this information applies to massage therapists all across Canada!

As much rest and relaxation massage therapists offer to others, being a massage therapist itself can be stressful! Especially when you’re trying to figure out all aspects of your business—including insurance—by yourself. This can lead you to feel lost and wonder, what insurance do massage therapists even need in Manitoba?

Don’t worry–we’re here to help!

Professional Liability Insurance for Massage Therapists (also known as Massage Malpractice insurance) as well as Commercial General Liability Insurance (business insurance) are required for all practicing RMTs in Manitoba and across Canada. But unless you’re employed by a spa or clinic, you’ll have to acquire that coverage yourself. And if you haven’t done that before, it can feel overwhelming.

So in this post, we’ll walk you through it from start to finish. First, we’ll dive into the most common insurance claims made against RMTs, then explain the types of insurance you need to protect yourself against them. Then, we’ll answer the most commonly asked questions massage therapists ask us about insurance. And show you what your next steps should be.

Prefer to skip the reading and speak to an Insurance Consultant one-on-one? Reach out to us.

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RMT Insurance: Why Massage Therapists In Canada Need It

As a registered massage therapist and a business owner, you shoulder all the professional responsibility and pressure that comes with serving clients and running a business. And part of that responsibility and pressure comes from making sure that you understand the ins and outs of professional insurance—and have the coverage you need to keep you and your clients safe.

Even in Canada, where suing is less common, patients do file insurance-related claims against healthcare providers. The most common insurance-related allegations against massage therapists are:

  1. Informed consent not being obtained for a particular treatment.
  2. Submitting false insurance claims.
  3. Misuse and misappropriation of registration numbers.

If a patient of yours were to file a claim like this against you, your personal and professional finances could take a serious hit. Legal fees, license suspensions, the inability to work for a period of time could all impact your ability to pay your bills and earn an income.

The proper insurance is crucial because even though you may have the best of intentions, things happen and can go wrong quickly. Below we’ve outlined three types of insurance massage therapists in Manitoba and across Canada should never find themselves without.

Did you know? Insurance is mandatory for massage therapists in Manitoba and across Canada!

Just like other health professionals in Canada, as a registered massage therapist, you are legally required to obtain and maintain professional and general liability insurance coverage. This requirement protects both you (the professional) and your patients (the public) by covering any and all treatments provided by you, to your clients.

3 Types of Insurance Every Canadian RMT Should Have

#1 Massage Therapy Liability Insurance

A Professional liability insurance Policy is a recommendation and often a requirement for most businesses. It exists to protect your practice and employees in the relatively common event that a slip-up, an error, or an omission that needs to be settled in court is covered—whether you’re at fault or not. Professional liability insurance will help cover you if a non-proper consent, false claim, or misuse of registration number claim is ever filed.

#2 Medical Fraud Insurance for Massage Therapists

In health care, proper billing is crucial. And although most errors are genuine mistakes that can be remedied, sadly, there are those who intentionally abuse the system. According to the Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance (CMTA), this type of medical fraud is an unfortunate occurrence that can and does negatively affect the massage therapy profession.

The CMTA explains that medical fraud can include things like:

  • Overbilling for services performed or not performed
  • Billing for additional and/or unnecessary services
  • Billing for uncovered services
  • Billing for any medical or assistive devices that are never provided
  • Abusing professional credentials​

even though your practice is good and clean, having the proper policies, procedures, and insurance and place can help to protect you and your reputation in case anything is ever called into question.

#3 Patient Confidentiality Insurance for Massage Therapists

The Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba (MTAM) explains on their website that massage therapists are considered trustees under the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA), a piece of legislation that applies to all Manitobans who collect, maintain, and have access to personal health information.

Among other things, PHIA dictates that:

  1. Health information is personal, and sensitive and its confidentiality must be protected to ensure individuals are confident (or comfortable) in seeking health care and disclosing sensitive information to health professionals; and
  2. Individuals need access to their own health information as a matter of fairness, to enable them to make informed decisions about their health care and to request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete information about themselves.

As a trusted health care professional, it’s your responsibility to safely and responsibly collect, secure, and protect the personal and health information of your clients and patients. If you’re found guilty of an offense under PHIA as a massage therapist, you could be fined up to $50,000. If your breach is prosecuted, it could result in disciplinary action for you, too.

Liability insurance can help you cover the costs of things like legal fees and payouts in the event that a breach of information exposes you to prosecution or fines like these.

Related: Cyber Liability Insurance for Businesses

The Insurance Package We Recommend For Every Canadian RMT

We recommend that, at a minimum, massage therapist insurance in Manitoba and across Canada should include these 3 types of coverage:

  1. Professional Liability Insurance is designed to protect individuals who provide services to third parties, such as massage therapists, and can respond to negligence claims made by a client.
  2. Commercial General Liability Insurance protects you and your business against claims for bodily or personal injuries, advertising liability, as well as property damage to third parties. This includes anything that arises from your operations or products or occurs on your business premises.
  3. Commercial Property Insurance provides coverage for physical loss or damage to your property and contents. Think: fires, break-ins, and the like.

In addition to what you must have (the bare minimum), we recommend you consider getting additional coverage from Business Interruption Insurance (also known as business income insurance) as well. This will help you cover costs related to having to temporarily close your business due to unforeseen situations like natural disasters, pandemics, and more.

How Insurance Works For RMTs In Canada

RMTs in Manitoba and Canada can typically obtain some insurance coverage through their provincial governing bodies, but don’t assume that coverage is enough. It’s often not the right coverage or it’s not enough coverage. We recommend that you speak to a licensed Insurance Consultant to make sure the coverage you have is the coverage you need—and get help filling any gaps that get identified.

How Much Does Massage Therapy Insurance Cost?

Insurance coverage for massage therapists varies quite a lot. So depending on how much coverage you need and the scope and size of your business, your costs can vary, too.

That said, as a ballpark, you should expect your massage therapy insurance coverage to cost you between $700 and $3,000 CAD per year—or $60 to $250 per month. (Again, depending on your business model and the services you provide.)

Massage Therapy Insurance FAQs

Rapid-fire answers to your FAQs about clients, clinics, and small business for RMTs!

Yes! Waivers are not always enforceable in a court of law, so you will still need insurance.

If you’re hired as an employee then yes, the company insurance policy will insure you. However, if you rent a room or space or work as an independent contractor, then you’ll be required to carry your own coverage.

It depends on whether or not your staff are considered employees or contractors. If they’re employees, your insurance covers them. If they’re contractors, they need their own insurance.

 

Related: Insurance For Your Small Business

Yes! Professional Liability Insurance, also known as Massage Malpractice Insurance is required for all practicing RMTs. It helps cover you and your business in the case where a slip-up or mistake is made.

Yes, all the same circumstances apply whether you’re working for a business or independently, from home or outside the house.

 

Related: Is Your Manitoba Home-Based Business Insured?

Let’s Get You Covered!

Want our help securing the professional liability insurance your massage therapy practice needs? Click the link below and request a custom quote!