There are several types of insurance you should consider if you run a physiotherapy business, including the following:
Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance (also known as malpractice insurance) covers you against claims that the advice, recommendations or physio service you provided were either wrong or negligent. All physiotherapists are legally required by the Physiotherapy Board of Australia to have this type of insurance. Professional indemnity cover can offer you protection against many types of claims, including:
- Allegations the therapy you provided was not suitable, didn’t achieve the desired results or was ineffective
- Claims your therapy caused personal injury
- Claims the advice you offered was negligent, misleading or contrary to professional standards in your industry
Cover starts at $250,000 and can go up to $10 million or more. It's compulsory for all physiotherapists and is also a requirement to join many professional associations. Practitioners who are union members may have this malpractice liability cover provided through their union fees, but if you’re a business owner or don’t belong to a union, you’ll need to arrange this insurance yourself.
What it covers
- Payment of compensation if there’s a successful claim against you
- Payment of court-awarded damages to the litigant
- Cover for your legal defence costs
- Cover for the cost of disciplinary proceedings or investigations
Public liability insurance
Public liability insurance is also essential for anyone working with members of the public as patients and clients. It will cover you against claims that your activity caused injury to a member of the public or damaged their property. This insurance can offer between $5 million and $20 million worth of cover.
What it covers:
- Third-party personal injury claims
- Damage to a third party’s property
- Legal fees to defend yourself
General business insurance
General business insurance may also be worthwhile if you own a physiotherapy business and have portable equipment and tools which you wish to protect in addition to your office or clinic building. Commercial vehicles aren’t included as part of general business insurance, so if you provide a mobile service or have a work vehicle you may need separate commercial vehicle protection.
What it covers:
- Fire, storms, theft, vandalism and collision which cause damage to your business assets
- Specialist cover for electronic equipment and other portable equipment
- Limited business interruption insurance
Cyber liability insurance
Cyber liability insurance is another form of insurance that physiotherapists and other allied health professionals (including nurses) will need if clients’ financial or medical records are kept on a computer or laptop. This type of insurance will protect you from the effects of cybercrime in an age when many bad actors are trying to get hold of sensitive information.
What it covers
- Data breaches including theft of client information
- The cost of forensic investigation into the cause of the breach
- Data recovery costs
- Cyber extortion and denial of service threats
- Crisis management costs
- Advertising and communicating with customers
- Legal costs including any fines and penalties imposed