Small Group Health Insurance Plan

Group health insurance plans, even small ones, can be very affordable for employees to pay into. Costs for employees can start around $270 per month, or $3240 per year, which is more than three times less than the cost the average American pays into their healthcare annually.

Small Plans vs. Large Plans

The plan you choose from the private insurance company will dictate your rates, premiums, and health care coverage. Sometimes, people assume that their healthcare coverage will diminish by choosing a small group health insurance.

However, this is not automatically the case. While healthcare insurance plans offered by private insurance providers, or on the state and federal exchanges, are not very customizable, plans from independent insurance agencies like Taylor Benefits Insurance are.

With an independent agency, you can receive the health care coverage you need at an attractive price. Health insurance companies need to offer health insurance plans at affordable monthly premiums in order to remain in medical insurance business. These health insurance providers are in competition with each other, while independent agencies are not.

With an independent agency, you can shop health insurance that covers pre existing conditions and save money by avoiding high insurance premium costs as much as possible. It provides essential health benefits like dental coverage, out of network care, family coverage, etc.

The size of the health plans does not matter as much as the agency offering the plan.

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Small Group Health Insurance

How Much Does Small Business Health Insurance Cost?

Insurance is a numbers game, no matter which type of health plan you choose from the insurance company. Fortunately for those interested in a small business health insurance plan, premiums are showing a downward trend in the last few years. This is due to Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed by the president Barack Obama in 2010.

According to 2018 research, the average premium per person fell to $409 in 2018 for small business health insurance coverage plans. This is a drop from $416 in 2017; while it might not sound like a huge improvement, it speaks to health trends that small businesses can certainly get behind.

Single coverage funding options
Single coverage funding options

It’s worth noting that the group health coverage premiums have risen by about 5% since 2015, but this is to be expected when accounting for inflation.

Small business health insurance is still likely to cost both employer and employee a couple hundred dollars in health plan premiums (assuming that the cost is being shared), but this is a significant improvement over some of the alternatives, both in terms of premiums and deductibles.

Moreover, the deductible for small group insurance averages about $3,000, which is much lower than that for individual health plans.

What Are My Different Options for Small Group Health Insurance?

When it comes to small business health insurance, there are essentially five different options that can be explored by small business owners.

First Option for Group Health Insurance

The first and most traditional option is a simple group health insurance plan for small employers. This option is appealing to those who don’t want to wade through the confusing world of business health insurance plans, as it’s doubtlessly the easiest choice.

Employers pay a fixed health plan premium, part of which may be paid by the employee, and in return offer health benefits to their employees and possibly their employees’ dependents. It’s a straightforward option for a small business owner, but premiums to provide health insurance can be quite high for small businesses.

Second Option for Group Insurance
Second Option for Group Insurance

A newer option for small group health insurance gaining popularity is something called the qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement (QSEHRA). Though it’s a mouthful, the health plan concept is relatively simple thanks to the legislation passed in 2016.

Basically, employers can offer a certain amount of money (of their choosing) in benefits to employees each month. Covered employees can purchase health insurance premiums, pay toward deductibles, and fill prescriptions within this amount and provide receipts to receive reimbursement. This option is wholly customizable to each employee, but adds some extra administrative burden all the way around.

Compare prices and get your shop plan
Compare prices and get a shop plan
Third Option for Group Insurance

Similarly, another option is to invest in something called a group coverage health reimbursement arrangement. This means that an employer would offer group health insurance, but they would also offer a certain monthly allowance to go toward copays, deductibles, and the like.

As with any reimbursement program, employees would need to submit proof of their expenditures, and there are stipulations for what is eligible for reimbursement.

Fourth Option for Group Insurance

The riskiest option for small business health insurance is for a business to provide self funded plans. This means that rather than paying premiums each month, employees submit their medical bills/prescription drugs and employers reimburse them directly.

This health plan option is an obvious gamble for small businesses, and although it sometimes plays to employers’ favors, it also has the potential to put them out of business.

Fifth Option for Group Insurance

Finally, associate health plans (AHPs) are a somewhat precarious option in which small businesses can invest. They are precarious due to the fact that a judge ruled against allowing them in 2019, though this is likely to be appealed. Basically, AHPs are when a number of smaller businesses within an industry or region band together to purchase larger group health plan policy from the insurance company.

What Is Considered A Small Group for Health Insurance?

Some small business owners are under the misconception that there is a certain threshold in terms of employee numbers that they must meet in order to be eligible for small group health insurance. While this isn’t strictly untrue, the threshold is incredibly low: at least one employee.

Small group vs large group

There is, however, a more strict upper limit by which employers must abide. The maximum number of employees that can still be considered a small group for medicaid services maxes out at 50. This means that businesses with more than 50 employees must explore large group health plans by the insurance companies and check their eligibility for such plans.

Employee wellness programs

Health Insurance & Small Business: Criteria and Eligibility

It’s important to note that in order to be eligible for small group coverage options, the one employee that is required must meet a number of criteria.

Namely, that employee cannot be small business owners themselves, and they cannot be the spouse, family member, or partner of the owner.

The employee must also be full-time employees, and not seasonal workers. This can pose some difficulties for family businesses but should be considered before investing in health insurance for small businesses.

Get tax credit on group health insurance
Get tax credit on group health insurance

Is Group Health Plan Cheaper Than Individual Health Insurance Plans?

Cost is always a huge factor when employers are considering different health insurance plans, but there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to comparing health insurance for small group and individual health plan.

If you only look at the premiums for each type of insurance, there’s not that much of a difference. On average, a small group plan’s premium will work out to an average of $409 per person by the insurance company; an individual plan premium is an average of $440 by the insurance company.

Looking a little closer, you’ll notice that the deductible for small business coverage is more than $1,000 less than that for individual coverage, but there’s even more to unpack than that.

Which one is Better?

Because employers contribute to the cost of premiums fixed by the health insurance company, the employee premiums amount for insurance is significantly lower with a small group health insurance plan than an individual one.

This makes a small group plan an obvious choice for employers looking to offer their valuable employees a competitive benefits package at the minimum contribution.

Shop plans and medical plans
Shop plans and medical plans

Advantages of Group Health Insurance Plans

There are many reasons that employers ought to invest in group health insurance options, but not all of them are immediately evident. Make sure you thoroughly consider all of the ways that a group plan could positively impact your business before making your decision.

First and foremost, group plans save both businesses and employees money from payroll taxes. This is possible due to the fact that a larger risk pool translates to lower premiums from the best health insurance providers.

Additionally, covering more people under a single plan helps drive down costs so that employers can afford to purchase better insurance from the insurance broker. This means that group plans are basically a no-brainer for employers.

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Why is health insurance for small business important?

A small group plan offers a host of benefits to employees. Because the plan is offered through the employer, employees pay a portion of the premium cost generally to offset a comprehensive health coverage for each employee. Additionally, employees are able to enjoy a higher quality insurance plan than they would be able to afford on their own.

You Get Happy Employees

All of this creates a brighter company culture and more positive work environment. When employees feel valued and their medical expenses taken care of, the quality of their work inevitably improves. Plus, employees are less likely to jump ship when they feel that they’re receiving a quality benefits package for the medicaid services.

Finally, tax incentives and tax free money are another way in which businesses benefit from offering group health insurance plans. This only further solidifies the assertion that group health plans are a smart financial move for both businesses and their employees.

Small businesses should consult their tax advisor to avoid any tax penalty for not providing a health insurance to keep the employees healthy when they need it.

Additional coverage for employee's dependents
Additional coverage for employee’s dependents

Types of Group Health Insurance

Types of Group Health Insurance

The following are popular forms of health insurance coverage that you may decide you want included in your plan by the insurance company. The specifics of your plan and how much coverage is required, however, will depend on your employees health trends and goals.

  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Prescription drug coverage
  • Subsidies
  • Eligibility for tax credits
  • Non-prescription drug coverage options (like Tylenol or Aspirin)
  • Copayment
  • Family health plans and coverage options for employees’ families
  • Reimbursement of out of pocket expenses
  • Long term care

The benefits you can include in your group health plan are endless.

Health reimbursement arrangements

Your Rights and Protections Under Health Care Law

The rights and protections you will receive are determined by both the federal and state government you reside under. For federal rights and protections, you can go here for more information. For your rights and protections under state law, you should go to the websites specific to your state.

The state website to go to if you live in New York, for example, is the Department of Health’s website. There, you will find the rights and protections that apply to you.

A great many things are determined under the state law, which determine policies that pertain to your health care, like:

  • Health coverage
  • Health insurance options
  • Insurance policies
  • Health savings accounts
  • Tax penalties
  • Tax benefits
  • Tax savings
  • Tax credits
  • Obamacare/ACA
  • Health care reform
  • Small business health options programs (if you offer shop coverage)
  • Small business taxes
  • Employer mandates

Where Should I Look for a Small Business Health Insurance Plan?

Look to independent insurance agencies like Taylor Benefits Insurance first. Independent agencies can help you get affordable health insurance that covers preexisting conditions, lowers your healthcare costs, covers catastrophic care, and more.

A plan from an independent agency will be better than a plan provided by the federal government or an established health care insurance company.

Need Help with Small Business Health Insurance

Contact Taylor Benefits Insurance today with no cost for registration and no expectation of enrollments. Get personalized recommendation as per your needs.

Require additional information? Call us today at 800-903-6066.

Small Group Healthcare Information

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