How Does Cosmetic Insurance Work?

What is Cosmetic Insurance, and why do I need it?

There is always a risk of complications with any cosmetic procedure. Treatment Risk cover protects from the financial losses associated with bodily injury claims. In the event of a claim, your insurer will cover both legal fees and compensation payouts.

Treatment Risk cover is suitable for many types of cosmetic professionals. However, for some professions, Medical Malpractice cover may be more appropriate.

Does the law require me to have Cosmetic Insurance?

If you are a medical nurse or doctor, your membership to your governing body requires you to have cover. This includes:

• GMC (General Medical Council)
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• the General Dental Council (GDC), the
• the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN)
• the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM)

Non-medics are still liable for claims clients make against them. Therefore, we recommend Professional Indemnity or Treatment risk cover for all practitioners.

Other policies may be necessary. Your local authority may require you to have Public Liability insurance. Similarly, the law may require you to have Employers’ Liability.

Employers’ Liability is a legal requirement for many businesses if they have employees. An EL policy will cover an injury, illness, or property damage claim from an employee. You will need Employers Liability cover if you are either:

• a limited company and have any employees
• a non-limited company with employees that aren’t your immediate family members.

Who counts as an immediate family member?

Immediate family members include:

• spouse/civil partner
• your parent, including a step-parent
• your child, including a step-child
• grandparent
• grandchild
• sibling

Without proper cover, you face fines of up to £2,500 for every day that you are not insured.

Finally, your local authority or landlord may insist you have PL insurance. Ensure you check this before you take over the lease.

Who can carry out Aesthetic & Cosmetic Treatments?

To carry out any cosmetic procedures, you should have adequate and relevant qualifications. Most insurers will require formal training before you secure cover with them.

We can cover most basic cosmetic treatments for a hairdresser or beautician with an NVQ level 1-3. Meanwhile, practitioners need advanced qualifications for complex and invasive aesthetic treatments like injectables.

Many insurers only provide cover for injectable or prescription-only treatments to medical practitioners. However, Insync can arrange Aesthetics Insurance Cover for Non-Medics with relevant qualifications.

If you are not a nurse prescriber or doctor, you must work with a prescriber to offer injectables. The prescriber will have a consultation with the client beforehand to determine suitability.

Your prescriber will meet your clients face-to-face to assess their suitability for treatment. If they are happy, they will prescribe the botox for you to use.

What if I’m not adequately qualified but say I am to get Cosmetic Insurance?

Insurers won’t always ask to see your certificates upfront when you take out cover. However, they will ask for proof of your qualifications before they can validate a claim.

Misrepresenting your qualifications will almost certainly void your insurance.

If this occurs, your provider will not cover your claim. They are also not obligated to refund your payments. You will still be liable for legal costs and payouts out of pocket.

My clients sign release forms. Do I still need Cosmetic insurance?

Release forms where the client waives all right to sue are no substitute for insurance. In fact, they’re not worth the paper they’re written on in court. If anything, such release forms could be seen as predatory and misleading.

If you make your clients sign these, you’re not in the clear. Your clients are still entitled to sue you for damages regardless of a release form.

Therefore, you should absolutely have professional cover for all treatments you carry out.

If you carry out low-risk beauty treatments, the cover is easy and affordable to arrange. Please speak to our team or get your quote online today.

What happens if someone claims against me?

If someone claims you, the process is quite simple. Give your broker a call to explain the situation, and they will advise you on the next steps.

Often, you will be able to settle the dispute without claiming if the cost is less than your excess. For example, a case where a client is not injured but is dissatisfied with the quality of the treatment. Similarly, you may receive a property damage claim which is worth less than your excess. For instance, a client’s coat is damaged in your salon and wants you to pay for repairs or cleaning charges. Claims like these can be settled outside of court.

Fortunately, Insync clients need not go through this alone. Following a complaint, our team is on hand to advise you. Your Insync Account Manager can guide you through settling a claim outside court.

What cover should I consider as an Aesthetics Practitioner?

While Malpractice and Professional Indemnity are important, other covers you should consider include:

• Public & Product Liability Insurance
• Business Equipment (either portable or at your premises)
• Employers Liability – a legal requirement for all businesses with employees
• Commercial property insurance for your clinic, surgery or salon
• Contents, Fixtures and Fittings cover
• Business Interruption Insurance if you own your own clinic or salon
• Tenants Improvements or Buildings Insurance, including your shop front
• Cyber Insurance and Data Breach Insurance in case you lose any patient data
• Money Cover
• Legal Expenses

How can an insurance broker help with Cosmetic Insurance?

At Insync, we can compare prices from our panel of leading insurers to ensure that you get the right cover for the right price.

Our team of expert medical and cosmetic insurance brokers understand the industry. We can advise you on what cover you need and explain what each part of your policy means.