Do Doulas Need Insurance?

Do Doulas Need Insurance?

Starting your doula business can be intimidating as you deal with registering your name, setting up your website and social media, and finding clients. Something else that may be top of mind is protecting yourself and your business through insurance. But what kind do you need, if any? Liability, malpractice, and business insurance are all forms of protection that some people think of in relation to a doula. In this article, we’ll review what these policies mean and when you should think about signing up for one as a doula.

Business Insurance

Business insurance is a general category of policies that is meant to protect a business owner’s financial assets against any potential lawsuits or losses. This can also be called general liability insurance and while it is not a legal requirement for doulas (or any other business) to have a policy, it is recommended in most cases.

Cases where general liability or business insurance will protect you involve your own injury, property damage, or medical needs that arise in relation to your business. It will also cover costs related to your actions. For example, if you were visiting a client and accidentally knocked over a television stand and the client asked you to pay for a replacement television, business insurance would cover this.

Professional Liability and Malpractice Insurance

In addition to general liability, a doula should be insured for professional liability as well. This is protection against cases where a client claims your professional services caused them harm. Making a mistake, acting against your own contract and rules, or failing to perform at all are all reasons you may become embroiled in a lawsuit. Professional liability insurance is designed for these cases.

Malpractice insurance is a subset of professional liability insurance that is available to those in the medical field. While there are offerings for doula malpractice insurance, those policies are actually professional liability insurance. Because doulas do not carry out any clinical tasks or give medical advice, there should never be a situation where a doula is capable of medical malpractice for this to be an issue.

Other Types of Insurance

Depending on the way your business is organized, there may be other insurance policies that make sense for you to have. Some examples include:

·         If you use a personal vehicle to drive to births and visits, or even networking events, you may want to have commercial auto insurance. These policies can cover accidents, repairs, and medical treatment related to injuries, as well as protection of business material carried in your car.

·         For doulas who work out of a home office, home-based business insurance can safeguard the space and equipment you devote to your business. Many renter and homeowner insurance policies explicitly do not cover business related items or client injuries that occur in your home without the proper disclosures.

·         Commercial umbrella insurance will cover any and all legal fees, beyond what may be covered by general liability insurance. This is rarely needed but for those who are more cautious, the option does exist.

Insuring Your Business

If you are practicing as an independent doula, it is important to think of yourself as a business and make the proper investments, including insurance. For most people, general and professional liability insurance will be enough to start with, but others may wish to consider more extensive policies. This can also be a good question to ask if you are planning to work for an agency who may have insurance in place as a part of their contracts.