- Some personal trainers get health insurance through their employers, while some do not.
- Whether or not you get health insurance from your gym likely depends on whether you work full-time, part-time, are an employee, or an independent contractor.
- If your gym doesn’t provide health insurance, there are things you can do to get it.
When you’re considering your career options, health insurance is usually a major factor. Health insurance for personal trainers isn’t a guarantee.
Some personal trainers receive health insurance through their employers, and other trainers have to provide their own insurance.
Whether or not your employer provides insurance is a key question to answer as you’re negotiating the terms of your employment.
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Some Personal Trainers Get Health Insurance
In some cases, personal trainers get health insurance. An employer may choose to provide insurance, and they may choose to pay a personal trainer hourly without benefits of any kind. Even if a gym doesn’t provide health insurance, there are other ways that a trainer can get health insurance.
You may be able to find insurance through the agency that certifies you as a personal trainer, or you may be able to buy insurance on the open market. Personal trainers work both with and without employer-provided health insurance.
Some Gyms Provide Insurance for Trainers
Health insurance through your employer typically depends on whether you’re an employee or an independent contractor and whether you work full-time or part-time at the gym. Some gyms provide health insurance only for trainers who are full-time employees. To maintain your full-time status, you may need to make sure that you offer a certain number of training sessions per week.
Health Insurance for Self-Employed Personal Trainers
If you can’t get health insurance through your employer, there are still some ways that you can get discounts and deductions for purchasing your own insurance. In some cases, personal trainers qualify for premium discounts and write-offs for health insurance. You may also be able to write your health insurance off your taxes.
Whether you’re buying a policy for you or have multiple dependents to cover, there are plenty of options available that you can compare online to find the right match for your needs and budget.
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Negotiating Compensation for Your Services
If the gym you’re working with doesn’t provide health insurance, that’s something you may want to seriously consider when you’re negotiating your rate with said gym. You may need to ask for a higher hourly rate to cover the cost of purchasing your own insurance. If you’re buying your insurance privately, it’s important to research the cost of your plan so that you can take it into account as you work out terms with your gym.
How to Find Health Insurance
When you’re in a personal situation where you need to have employer-sponsored health insurance, you may be able to work for the gym in another capacity to get the insurance. The gym you want to work for may use trainers as independent contractors rather than employees.
If they don’t treat trainers as employees, they might not give trainers the same health insurance that they give employees.
That doesn’t mean you can’t find insurance. Instead, you can search for insurance on the health insurance exchange for your state. There are also private insurers you can use to purchase insurance. Plans and rates vary, so it’s important to do your research and select the best possible plan for you. Most insurers are happy to provide free online quotes.
Another option is to work for the gym in another capacity. For example, you might be able to work as a gym supervisor or as a membership coordinator in addition to your training duties. A hybrid employment relationship might allow you to have a steady income while you build your personal training base.
Both national and local chains may be willing to work with you to build this kind of arrangement. From the employer’s perspective, it’s helpful to have a trainer on staff to quickly answer inquiries from potential clients.
Look to Your Certification Organization for Lower Rates
The organization that you use to gain your personal training certification is a great place to look for health insurance. Many of these organizations know that health insurance for personal trainers and their families can be an issue. To meet this need, many of them team up with health insurance providers to make health insurance available and affordable.
For example, the National Academy of Sports Medicine makes health insurance available to certified members. They offer liability and accident insurance as well. Other certification organizations have similar programs. Finding insurance through a certification organization can be a great option for self-employed trainers who want to address all of their insurance needs in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Should I have insurance prior to beginning my training career?
If you are planning on training clients in any capacity, it is a good idea to be insured to protect yourself from any legal troubles that may arise.
Do I need insurance if I am employed by a gym?
It depends. Some gyms will provide insurance to all of their employees; however, be sure to check with your gym to find out the capacity of their insurance plan. For example, some may cover product liability but not personal injury liability.
Where can I get insurance?
Your overall needs will determine what kind of insurance you should get and from whom. With that being said, some certifying agencies like ACE provide liability insurance to fitness individuals.
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