Half of all Americans have a chronic disease due to poor food choices. This figure makes it clear why nutritionists have their work cut out for them. Living well isn’t all about making the right decisions, diet matters too. That said, you don’t only need the help of a life coach but also a professional who can provide advice on what you eat.
Nutritionists create dietary routines that help people improve their bodily constitution or underlying medical condition. These professionals ensure that people consume the right food at the right time so that they don’t end up calling EMTs.
With the nutritionist industry growing, finding the right nutritionist insurance is important to protect from lawsuits, equipment costs, and other unforeseen business expenses. A nutritionist covered by insurance is set up to deliver the best service to their customers without worrying about what happens if they make a mistake or don’t account for the unexpected. This article will examine common topics and questions about nutritionist insurance, including:
Do you need insurance as a nutritionist?
What is nutritionist insurance?
What are the common inclusions?
Nutritionist insurance cost
Best nutritionist insurance companies
Yes, nutritionists need insurance to protect themselves from the costs of operating their business. Nutritionists can be sued if they make a mistake in a malpractice suit or cause bodily injury or property damage through their practice. They will also need to protect any tools, equipment, vehicles, or property that they use for business from liabilities.
Will insurance cover nutritionist? The answer is yes. Nutritionist insurance is an insurance package consisting of the following:
General liability insurance
Malpractice insurance
Tools and equipment insurance
Commercial property insurance
Business owner’s policy
Commercial auto insurance
Commercial umbrella liability insurance
There are a few types of nutritionists that play different roles in the industry. In connection, the insurance package is designed for them.
| Registered Dietician | A healthcare professional that offers advice on nutrition and eating habits as a nutritionist. Dieticians covered by insurance benefit from extra security from liabilities from their advice. |
|---|---|
| Nutrition Coach | Nutrition coaches are typically health mentors and leaders who use techniques to encourage clients to eat healthier. Nutrition coach insurance policies will want to emphasize liability protection derived from their health advice. |
| Nutrition Therapist | Nutritional therapists provide counseling to and alternative treatments for their clients about their nutrient deficiencies, they do not often work in clinical settings. Insurance for nutritional therapists cover things like bad visits with clients, or health advice that doesn’t help a patient's condition. |
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $300,000/$1,000,000 | $300,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Can be included | No |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | No | Can be included | Can be included |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included | Can be included |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
General liability insurance is a good insurance for nutrition coaches, dieticians, and nutritional therapists. This covers costs related to personal injury, bodily injury, and property damage. Some situations where this insurance can help you include:
A registered dietitian covered by insurance enters the home of a client and accidentally knocks over a painting, destroying it. General liability could cover a liability claim
A nutrition therapist makes a disparaging remark to a client during a session. In that instance, general liability would provide insurance coverage for nutrition counseling by taking care of lawyer fees, settlements, and court judgments
Add-ons to general liability for nutritionists are as follows:
Tools and equipment coverage-Covers the tools and equipment you use for work. You can leverage this policy to cover repair and replacement costs
Cyber coverage-Some insurance companies include an optional cyber coverage to general liability insurance. You can use this to cover incidents of data breach, phishing, and other cyber attacks
No, a nutritionist with insurance of this type is not fully protected. You will often need to add other insurance types to get more coverage. For one, general liability doesn’t take care of malpractice claims. You can’t also use this to cover financial losses that result from commercial property damage.
| CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included | No |
| HIPAA coverage included? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Sexual misconduct coverage included? | No | No | No | No | No |
| License defense coverage included? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $50/$10,000 | $500 |
Malpractice insurance for nutritionists is important for covering the high costs of claims due to negligence or mistakes. Examples, where this insurance comes in handy, include:
A registered dietitian covered by insurance has a patient who just underwent surgery. The dietitian recommends a food plan that brought undesirable results
The nutritionist fails to properly record a patient’s condition. This created problems when the patient was referred to another specialist. The patient decided to sue but thanks to malpractice insurance for registered dietitians all of the legal costs were covered
Liability insurance for registered dietitians of this type is perhaps one of the most important policies to pick up. Dietitians give medical advice that makes them highly susceptible to lawsuits and legal claims if something goes wrong. Since they have the education and training to make the correct recommendation, mistakes by medical professionals are judged more harshly than health advice from the general population.
A standard add-on that a nutritionist might want for malpractice insurance is retroactive protection. This covers past events that had not become a lawsuit yet from before coverage was purchased. Another good add-on is regulatory defense, where your insurance provider provides legal representation to you automatically if you become the subject of a regulatory authority investigation.
Professional liability and malpractice insurance are the same. Both are errors and omissions coverage. However, malpractice insurance is for businesses and professions in the medical field. Professional liability insurance is for businesses in other industries.
The HIPAA coverage add-on grants protection for claims filed by patients because of transgressions related to the HIPAA Act.
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| NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limit | $5,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $5,000/$25,000 |
| Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $5,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | No |
| Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | $5,000/$10,000 | No | No |
| Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $0 |
Tools and equipment insurance ensures that nutritionists are never without the essential tools they need for servicing their clients. This insurance covers the costs of repairing and replacing equipment if it gets broken or stolen. Some examples of where you can use this insurance include:
A nutritionist leaves their teaching aids unattended in their office, and they get vandalized or stolen. Tools and equipment insurance would cover this
A nutrition coach does a cooking demonstration with their cooking equipment for a client. If this cooking equipment becomes damaged, this insurance can help repair or replace it
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $260,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 | $35,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $22,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 | $35,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/10,000 | Included | Excluded |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included | Excluded |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Included | Excluded |
Commercial property insurance for nutritionists covers their company assets from physical events like fire, floods, vandalism, and theft. Some examples of where this insurance might be useful are listed below.
A nutritionist has a clinical office that gets broken into. This insurance can help cover the costs of repairing broken doors, windows, and other entrances
A power outage causes damage to electronics that a nutritionist uses for his business. Commercial property insurance could help cover any costs associated with the incident
Any physical damage due to negligence will not be covered. This can include things like rust, mold, or insect damage that the owner should have been maintaining themselves.
The limits of commercial property insurance begin at $15,000-$25,000. But depending on the overall value of your business property, it’s possible to get a commercial property policy offering $1 million coverage.
| CoverWallet | Thimble (Best) | NEXT | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $300,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $500,000 | $260,000 | $25,000 | $35,000 |
| Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Business owner’s policy for nutritionists combines commercial property insurance and general liability insurance. Some policies also throw in protection for costs when your business income gets interrupted. The trade-off is that the policy limits are typically lower, but you can protect your business property as well as any liabilities from bodily injury or property damage. Examples of times you can use this insurance include:
A customer slips and falls in an office the nutritionist operates
A nutritionist visits a customer's home and accidentally causes damage to a fragile chair when sitting down
Business owner's policy does not typically include malpractice insurance, or commercial auto insurance. It is not a catch-all insurance policy.
In the business owner's policy, you will find property protection, business interruption protection, and general liability protection.
Commercial auto insurance covers the costs associated with any vehicles used for business operations. This insurance covers costs like collisions, accidents, and theft involving business vehicles. Some events where this coverage might come in handy for nutritionists include
While driving to a client's house, a nutritionist gets into a collision accident with another vehicle.
While a nutritionist's car is parked while helping a client pick out groceries, a fire damages their vehicle.
Personal auto insurance is required by law and covers the nutritionist’s personal vehicle and its private use. However, commercial auto covers the vehicle that is used for business-related tasks.
Yes, you must have the minimum auto coverage in accordance with the requirements of the state. Driving an uninsured vehicle can be a violation of the law and is subject to heavy criminal charges.
Commercial umbrella liability insurance for nutritionists lets the policyholder enjoy further coverage in case a claim exceeds policy limits. Some examples of where it comes in handy are listed below:
The nutritionist becomes liable for a customer slip and falls that exceeds their general liability limit. General liability insurance only provides $1 million but the cost of the claim is $2 million. Umbrella insurance could cover the gap
A nutritionist gets sued for causing mental anguish to a client. Court costs could drag on past the point of his coverage limit. Umbrella insurance to step in to cover the rest
Yes, umbrella policies offer great value for the cost for anyone who might need it. It just might save your business tons of money.
No. Insurance companies will allow you to easily add umbrella liability coverage to your general liability or malpractice insurance policy. But note that this isn’t free and premiums will rise accordingly.
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $42 | $504 | $0-$500 |
| Malpractice insurance | $78 | $936 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial property insurance | $50 | $600 | $1,000-$2,000 |
| Business owner's policy | $92 | $1,104 | $500-$1,000 |
| Tools and equipment insurance | $48 | $576 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $59 | $708 | $500-$1,000 |
| Umbrella liability insurance | $60 | $720 | $500-$1,000 |
The average nutritionist insurance cost is $42 per month or $456 per year for a $1 million general liability coverage. Your actual rate may be the same or different based on location, claims history, business history, revenue, deductibles, and policy limits. Here’s a table showing the rates of the companies we recommend:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $20 | $240 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for nutritionists |
| CoverWallet | $22 | $264 | Comparing nutritionist insurance quotes online |
| The Hartford | $23 | $276 | Expertise in risk engineering |
| Hiscox | $30 | $360 | Nutritionist insurance with automatic renewal |
| Tivly | $41 | $492 | Comparing nutritionist insurance quotes over the phone |
| Thimble | $42 | $504 | Industry experience |
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These insurance companies have much to offer to nutritionists. Read some of the reviews below to know their pros, cons, and average rate for a $1 million general liability insurance.
Best overall
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
Fastest general liability insurance for nutritionists
Great customer service and reputation
Excellent rates
Outstanding value for money
Get a 10% discount if you buy two or more policies
Couldn’t find any
NEXT is a newcomer to the insurance game, having only been founded in 2016, but they offer some of the best insurance policy packages you can find. They offer general liability, commercial auto, commercial property, business owner’s policy, and tools & equipment policy options.
This company has a stellar A- (Excellent) AM Best rating for their financial security. They serve over 400,000 customers and write over $200 million in direct premiums. With their policy bundling, you can save 10% when purchasing multiple policies with them.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for nutritionists
Average cost: $20 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Expertise in risk engineering
Multinational coverage
Fast to handle claims
Get a quote online or through an agent
Online quoting isn’t very intuitive
The Hartford offers general liability, commercial auto, commercial property, business owner’s policy, and umbrella policy insurance options. Their risk engineering program works to protect your business proactively. This company boasts an A+ rating from AM Best and writes $11 billion in premiums every year. Their policy options are easy to mix and match to get the coverage that is right for you. They have been protecting businesses for 200 years and have a 4.8 rating in their customer reviews.
Best for: Expertise in risk engineering
Average cost: $23 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Compare quotes from multiple insurance companies online
Online policy management
HNOA coverage automatically included in general liability insurance
Name additional insureds easily
Not a provider
Next on the list is CoverWallet. For nutrition insurance, they offer general liability, business owner's policy, umbrella policy, commercial auto, and malpractice insurance. Their policies act as a business safety net for all kinds of nutritionists.
The company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and serves 10,000+ customers annually. Their online marketplace makes it easy to compare quotes from several companies to find the best policy option.
Best for: Comparing nutritionist insurance quotes online
Average cost: $22 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Over 200 partners
Flexible targeting to match customers easier
Compare quotes over the phone
Not a provider
Tivly offers nutrition insurance policies with malpractice, umbrella, general liability, commercial property, business owner’s policy, and commercial auto options. Nutritionists can get their businesses protected from everything from catastrophic weather to bodily injury to business closure. Call a representative now to compare quotes over the phone.
Shopping with Tivly is secure because they have a network of over 200 trusted partners that offer a wide range of options. They have 20 years of experience and maintain an A rating from the BBB.
Best for: Comparing nutritionist insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $41 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Helpful free resources for nutritionists
Have experience in the field
Short-term coverage is available
Choose policy limits easily
Online-only customer support
Thimble is an A-rated insurer from BB that offers general liability, business equipment protection, Business owner’s policy, and commercial property policies perfect for creating a nutritionist package. You can buy a policy directly through their app, online, or over the phone.
They serve over 300 professions with agents that have expert knowledge. Most of their business is first-time buyers, over 75% of their customer base. Nutritionists are in good hands with their proven level of experience.
Best for: Industry experience
Average cost: $42 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Personalized policy
Worldwide coverage
14-day money-back guarantee
Policy automatically renews every year
You might be referred to a partner for an online quote on other business insurance policies
Hiscox is the small business choice that handles your claim personally. They adjust policies for your specific needs and have policies written with nutritionists in mind. The company focuses on general liability insurance that covers personal injury, bodily injury, and property damage costs to your business.
At Hiscox, you get a diversified insurance group that provides international coverage. They serve 500,000 customers and have an A rating from AM Best. The company also boasts an A+ financial rating from Fitch.
Best for: Nutritionist insurance with automatic renewal
Average cost: $30 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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