Professional liability insurance

CMTBC has observed that many RMTs who renew their liability insurance after renewal time (e.g. in January or February) forget to upload their liability insurance certificates in the online Registrant Portal.

All practising CMTBC registrants are required to obtain and submit proof of professional liability insurance coverage of at least $2,000,000 per claim or occurrence (see Bylaws, section 61(1)).

In some cases, RMTs have forgotten to renew their liability insurance, resulting in a period of lapsed insurance while those RMTs are treating patients. This is a serious issue: the requirement to be insured protects the public, as it preserves their ability to seek financial redress for any harm that may occur in treatment, but it also protects the RMT in the event a claim is made that results in liability. For this reason, a practicing RMT who has allowed his/her liability insurance to lapse may be investigated by CMTBC’s Inquiry Committee.

After renewing their liability insurance, RMTs must ensure they upload a copy of their insurance certificate in the Registrant Portal. A professional liability insurance certificate is a one or two-page document that includes the following information:

• confirmation that the policy is, or includes professional liability coverage,
• the amount per claim or occurrence, and
• the dates the policy is valid.

If you do not have a document that includes this information, you should contact your insurance provider.

To upload your liability insurance certificate in the Registrant Portal, log in and click the professional liability insurance link in the left-hand menu on the dashboard, click the “Add” button to create a new entry, and fill in the required fields.

For more information on professional liability insurance requirements, see the Professional Liability Insurance page.

Contact information

RMTs are required to provide CMTBC with:

• the RMT’s physical home address, telephone number, and email address, and
• the physical address, telephone number, email address, and website address of all places at which the RMT practices massage therapy (the RMT’s place(s) of practice).

If an RMT’s contact information changes, he or she must notify CMTBC no later than 14 days after the change occurs (see Bylaws, section 62).

Failing to update your personal contact information or place of practice after a change can result in missing important communications from CMTBC. It is your professional obligation to ensure you receive updates from the College regarding important deadlines or requirements. Additionally, failing to update your place of practice after a change may result in delays by insurance companies in processing claims for coverage.

To update your contact information, log in to the Registrant Portal to notify CMTBC of a change to your personal contact information or place(s) of practice by clicking the appropriate link in the left-hand menu on the dashboard. To make any changes to your current place of practice, including the addition of an End date, click the “Edit” button on the place of practice page. To add a new place of practice, click the “Add” button and fill in the required fields.