The Insurance Needs Of Your Contractors Within Wellness And Allied Health Centres
Operating a wellness or allied health centre means that you hold client wellbeing extremely high. Knowing this, you want your therapists
to be of the best quality and may hire qualified contractors to ensure this. But where do your insurance responsibilities lie and the
contractors responsibilities begin? What coverages should be held by both parties to maximise protections?
Understanding the Role of Contractors:
Within wellness centres, Contractors encompass an array of specialised professionals including medical practitioner, physical therapists, massage therapists and so on. They provide important services to your clients but are not officially employees of the business. This setup grants contractor’s autonomy in their practice, responsibility when managing clients and guarantees an exceptional level of service for your client. As separate business entities, they will need their own insurance coverage to protect themselves and the business, obligations of which should be contractually outlined.
The Importance of Legal Contracts when Engaging contractors.
To guarantee your contracted health professionals carry the relevant insurance, establish robust legal contracts that outline their requirements. These contracts should specify the types of coverage they require alongside policy limits. Additionally, provisions should be made to mandate regular proof of insurance. Demand to see Certificates of Currency from your practitioners and familiarise them with your incidents and claims processes. We recommend that when establishing a legal contract, engage relevant legal services for assistance.
By implementing clear contractual obligations, you will protect your Wellness Centres interests whilst encouraging a culture of professionalism among your contractors. This proactive approach will also minimise the potential for disputes surrounding liability and assist in maximising everyone’s protections.
What are the essential covers for health professionals to carry
Having appropriate insurance coverage is essential for protecting your business. Below are details of covers that may be relevant depending on the professionals you are contracting;
- Health Services Professional Indemnity (Medical Malpractice Insurance): With this coverage, contractors are protected from claims of negligence or malpractice from their treatments. Given the nature of their work, your practitioners must safeguard themselves against potential claims arising from accidental service errors to in turn protect your business further.
- Public and Products Liability Insurance: this will protect the contractor and business from claims arising from personal injury occurring on business premises. It serves as a financial safety net in the event clients or third parties claim due to general accident.
- Workcover and other statutory insurances: we recommend checking these with your local government authority and WorkSafe sites for your regions details on this.
- Equipment Cover: if contractors are using their own specialised equipment on clients or equipment not supplied by the business, you are not liable in the event of damage or misuse. To benefit your contractor’s financial wellbeing, they should ensure that their own equipment covers are up to date to ensure financial safety.
Do not let your contractors lack of coverage put you at exposure to risk. By maintaining consistency with your contractors, you are proactive in protecting your clients and business wellbeing. To find out more about protecting your business risks and assets, or for assistance in insuring your contractors, the team at Business Insurance Cover services is here to help. Call 1300 268 371 to arrange a consult with our expert brokers or alternatively, email us at admin@bics.net.au to learn more about insuring your risks and protecting your business wellbeing.
