5 Essential Legal Considerations for Health and Wellness Professionals

5 Essential Legal Considerations for Health and Wellness Professionals

Are you ready to take the first step with your health, nutrition or fitness coaching certification?

We love your energy! But not so fast...

For the health of your business and your profession, take the time to get your legal ducks in a row.

For all businesses, especially those that affect people's health, you need to ensure that your business practices are legal in your state and that you are protecting your customers and your business.

Here are five essential legal considerations for health and wellness professionals.

Know your scope and state laws

All professions that directly impact people's health have guidelines about what they can (or should) and cannot (or should) do. This includes, but is not limited to, careers in fitness, nutrition, medicine and mental health. The differences depend on the profession and the state or country in which you wish to practice.

In the most stringent cases, there are laws and regulations that govern what healthcare professionals can do. In the most flexible cases there may be no regulations, but the restrictions are imposed by the knowledge limits of each profession.

It is important that you contact an attorney who is familiar with your local laws. Cost-effective sources of legal advice include Legal Shield, RocketLawyer and Legal Zoom.

Once you receive your certification with AFPA, you may have questions about what type of job opportunities you are seeking or what type of business you can build. You may also have questions about what is legal in your state.

AFPA has developed several resources for certified professionals across all fields that can help answer your questions.

Formally form your business

One of the most common questions newly certified professionals have after completing their program is, “What are the next steps I need to take to build my business?”

There are many ways to do this, and the journey from getting your credentials to building and growing your business can be different. We've put together a list of resources to help you, no matter where you're starting or expanding your business.

You don't have to spend time on search engines trying to figure out what you need to do to legally build your health and wellness business. We've created a complete guide specifically for health and wellness coaches.

Read the complete guide to legally structuring your wellness business Here!

Here are some other resources you may find useful:

Take out professional liability insurance

Professional liability insurance is similar to car insurance for your business. It protects you from losses (financial or otherwise) arising from legal claims that your customers may assert against you, such as: B. Negligence and misconduct.

Note that liability insurance is essential even if you have a business license or are registered as an LLC. Liability insurance covers the costs associated with retaining an attorney and reimbursing your client for medical expenses.

Tip: When getting a quote for liability insurance, make sure you answer the questions accurately to avoid being over- or underinsured.

AFPA has researched many insurance organizations and compiled a list of organizations that offer reasonable rates with excellent coverage. For example, the average (annual) premium for a certified personal trainer is approximately $100, and instant quotes are available online.

Further information about professional liability insurance designed specifically for your profession can be found here:

Prepare customer forms

If you are in the health and fitness field, it is because you live and breathe a healthy lifestyle. Of course, breaking a sweat and helping your clients achieve their fitness goals is only a small part of it.

Be a personal trainer,Health coach, or nutritionist also means being a responsible business owner.

Like any other business, a professional fitness business is based on specific practices and paperwork that keep things in order and help you manage your clients. It is the fundamental system that governs your business.

Some customer forms may have legal implications. For example, release forms may be relevant to your business, but they must be prepared by a lawyer.

Other client forms are designed to inform your practice and guide your relationship with your client. These can be questionnaires, personal history forms and coaching tools. Keeping a copy of client forms in addition to dated meeting notes will provide a track record of your meetings with clients.

There are hundreds of forms you can choose from to implement. When deciding which forms to use, it's important to ask yourself: What do YOU ​​want to track? What do your customers want to track? Answering these questions will help you decide which forms to use.

In addition to providing templates for many of the forms you may find useful in your practice, we have also highlighted some of the most common forms used by health and wellness professionals.

Keep your certification active by earning your CECs

It might be tempting to throw away the books after you get your certification. However, you must keepYour knowledge up to dateand find opportunities to continue your education.

To keep your certification active, you must receive at least 16 hours of approved continuing education Continuing Education Credits (CECs). If you do not renew your certification on time, you will not be able to legally practice as a coach.

Continuing your educationAfter you get certified, this is important not only to keep your certification active, but also what's best for your customers and your business. Health sciences are constantly changing and improving. Finding CECs of interest allows you to learn important techniques and gain knowledge that will ensure you provide the best service to your customers.

Learn more about earning your CECs and keeping your knowledge up to date here:

Main takeaways

The legal aspect of running a coaching business can seem lengthy and confusing, but it is essential to your professional practice. Understanding the legal implications, legally incorporating your business, and having the assistance of an attorney when needed are important aspects of protecting your business and allowing it to grow and thrive.

... more about that in the next part.
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