Doula Service Insurance
Getting insurance for your doula service is essential.
Doula services need to be protected against things like claims of negligence in providing care and misrepresentation.
For example, an employee misrepresented their qualifications to a client or forgets to notify a high-risk client of certain complications they may have.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Doula Service
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for doula services.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
Even so, your doula service might also benefit from other types of policies. Additional coverage policies that can often be important for doula services include:
- Personal liability insurance
- Commercial auto insurance
- Home-based business insurance
- Commercial umbrella insurance
When shopping for your doula service’s business coverage, there are two general types of insurance providers to be aware of:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — This category includes firms like Nationwide, The Hartford, and Hiscox.
- Online insurers — This category includes firms like Tivly and Next.
It is strongly recommended that businesses consider online insurers for their coverage, as they are best able to offer high-quality, tailored insurance at more affordable prices.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, doula services in America spend between $300 - $800 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a doula service to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Doula Service
Example 1: During a consultation in a client’s home, you walk through her living room, trip over a child’s toy, and fall into her large television. The client asks you to pay for a replacement. General liability insurance would cover the cost of replacing the client’s damaged property.
Example 2: A local competitor sues you for slander. While you’re unsure why she believes you slandered her business, you know you need an attorney. General liability insurance would pay for your legal defense costs.
Example 3: While visiting your place of business, a potential client trips on a staircase, breaks an arm in the resulting fall, and decides to sue. General liability insurance would cover your legal defense costs.
Other Types of Coverage Doula Services Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Professional Liability Insurance
While you strive to ensure your services benefit your clients, there’s always a chance someone might claim your professional services caused them harm. If a customer sues your business, claiming you made a mistake or failed to perform, professional liability insurance would cover your legal fees and any required settlement.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Any vehicle you use primarily for business requires commercial auto insurance to protect the vehicle, driver, and others on the road in the event of an accident. Be sure to select a policy that covers not only accident-related vehicle repair costs and medical treatment for anyone injured but also sufficient protection for any business materials you carry in your vehicle.
Home-Based Business Insurance
If you run your business from your home, you may need this insurance to safeguard your equipment and space in your home devoted to your business. A typical homeowners insurance policy may not cover business-related items or client injuries in your home if you don’t disclose you use your home for business purposes.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
While your general liability insurance policy covers most claims, some accidents or lawsuits may be so catastrophic that they threaten to exhaust the limits of your primary coverage. Commercial umbrella insurance protects you from paying out-of-pocket for any legal fees and awarded damages that exceed your primary policy.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your doula service:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Doula Service Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Yes. This is true for most businesses generally — but especially for doula services due to how risk-prone the industry is — business insurance should be acquired before starting to ensure maximum protection from the get-go.
Furthermore, in some cases, your doula service may be unable to operate legally without specific insurance policies (e.g., workers’ compensation service).
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your doula service insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.