News: Insurance Updates and What Executors Must Know in 2026

News: Insurance Updates and What Executors Must Know in 2026

Hook: A 2026 update to insurance guidance — primarily aimed at manual therapy providers — has surprising implications for estate administrators and fiduciaries. Executors must reassess coverage for continuing care and third‑party claims stemming from clinical relationships.

What Changed in 2026

Recent guidance clarifies insurer obligations, client consent for treatments and documentation standards — read the detailed industry update on insurance and manual therapy guidelines here. While aimed at clinicians, the guidance places new emphasis on recordkeeping and indemnity that impacts outstanding liability claims against estates.

Why Executors Should Care

• Outstanding claims: Improved documentation may revive or accelerate compensation claims against estates if records surface post-mortem.
• Continuing care obligations: Estates with obligations to fund continuing therapy should confirm insurer policy terms and ensure contractual continuity.
• Evidence for disputes: Stronger clinical records benefit claimants; executors must be ready to handle verified clinical evidence.

Operational Steps for Executors

1. Inventory any policies for the deceased that cover clinical liabilities or long-term care.
2. Request and secure clinical records with authenticated transfer methods; ensure you maintain a tamper-evident archive.
3. Consult counsel about potential revived claims and re-evaluate contingency reserves in your liquidity map.

Evidence Handling & Digital Records

When clinical records arrive electronically, ensure the transfer satisfies evidentiary requirements: signed transfer receipts, chain-of-custody logs and verifiable timestamps. For secure temporary storage of sensitive artefacts, follow secure cache storage guidance (secure cache guidance).

Contextual Resources for Executors

• The massage and manual therapy guidance itself, which spells out insurer expectations and documentation standards (insurance updates and guidelines).
• Case studies in local government automation offer blueprints for intake and triage of claims against estates (council automation case study).
• Privacy-first CRM choices help manage sensitive medical or care-provider data with appropriate controls (privacy-first CRM audit).
• For executors advising beneficiaries with mobility or therapy needs, review travel and insurance considerations for expatriate beneficiaries (travel insurance checklist).

Practical Example

Consider an estate where a deceased client received ongoing manual therapy and passed before a treatment claim was settled. Under the new guidance, clearer clinical notes and insurer direction may transform a previously uncertain claim into a valid liability. Executors who proactively request records and set aside contingency funds can avoid emergency asset sales later.

Recommendations

• Update your intake checklist to include insurer contacts and clinical-provider identities.
• Run a short audit of open claims and medical records for every estate with recent clinical interactions.
• Instruct your providers to preserve physical and digital records until you confirm no claims remain.

Closing

Insurance updates in 2026 strengthen documentation and insurer duties; that benefits claimants but creates operational work for executors. Treat medical and therapy records as first-class evidence, secure them properly, and plan liquidity to resolve potential claims without forced asset sales.