GROUP HEALTH – 2 TO 50 EMPLOYEES
You don’t have an HR department. That’s what we’re for.
Group coverage for Connecticut businesses — quoted, placed, enrolled, and serviced. When an employee has a claim problem or a new hire needs adding, they call us instead of you.
THE BUSINESS CASE
Usually it’s about keeping people.
Nobody offers benefits for fun. The reasons owners actually give us:
Hiring against bigger competitors
A candidate comparing two offers is comparing total compensation. “No benefits” is a hard gap to close with salary alone.
Tax treatment
Employer contributions are generally deductible, and employee contributions typically come out pre-tax through a Section 125 plan — lowering payroll taxes for both of you.
Keeping the people you have
Replacing a skilled employee costs more than a year of their premium.
Your own coverage
As an owner, a group plan is often how you cover yourself and your family — and it can compare favorably to buying individually.
HOW IT WORKS IN CONNECTICUT
Nobody can be turned down for health reasons.
Small group coverage here is guaranteed issue. Carriers cannot decline your group, exclude an employee, or raise your rate because someone is sick or has a pre-existing condition. Rates are set by employee age, location, tobacco use, and plan design — not claims history.
A group with one seriously ill employee pays the same as an identical group without one. Shopping around is about plan design, network, and service — not about who will take you.
Participation
Carriers generally require around [%] of eligible employees to enroll. Those with other coverage — a spouse’s plan, Medicare — usually don’t count against you.
Employer contribution
You typically must pay at least [%] of the employee-only premium. Contributing toward dependents is optional.
The one open window
Roughly [date] to [date], carriers must accept small groups regardless of participation or contribution, for a January 1 start.
Been told no before?
If you were declined because not enough employees would enroll, that annual window is when to try again. Call us in the fall and we’ll be ready for it.
WHAT’S AVAILABLE
There’s more than one way to do this.
Fully insured group plan
The traditional approach. You pay a fixed premium, the carrier takes the risk. Simple, predictable, and where most small groups start.
QSEHRA
Instead of a group plan, reimburse employees tax-free for coverage they buy themselves. For employers under 50 who don’t offer a group plan. Annual contribution limits apply.
Level-funded plan
A hybrid. Set monthly amount, and if claims come in low you may get money back at year end. Often priced well for younger groups, with claims reporting you’d never see otherwise.
ICHRA
Same principle, more flexible. Set a monthly allowance, employees buy their own plans, and you can vary the allowance by employee class. No contribution cap.
Sometimes the answer isn’t a group plan at all.
The HRA options can genuinely fit better — if your team is spread out, if participation is a problem, or if you want a fixed budgetable cost. They also have real trade-offs, including how they interact with employees’ subsidy eligibility. We’ll tell you honestly which direction fits.
COSTS
The number you care about is cost per employee per month.
Group pricing is built from each employee’s age and your plan design. What you actually budget comes down to four things.
01
Total premium
Per employee, by age and whether they take dependent coverage. A young group and an older group pay very differently for the same plan.
02
Your contribution
Minimum [%] of the employee-only premium. Many employers pay more; some contribute toward dependents.
03
Employee payroll deduction
The rest, pre-tax through Section 125. This is the number your employees ask about, and it decides whether they enroll.
04
What they pay to use it
Deductible, copays, out-of-pocket max. A cheap plan nobody can afford to use creates its own problems.
We build you a spreadsheet showing total cost, your contribution, and each employee’s payroll deduction across every plan we quote. Then you decide what you can carry.
WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY BUYING
The plan is the easy part. The rest is why you use a broker.
Quoting and comparison
We gather the quotes and lay them out so you’re comparing the same things, with networks checked against where your employees live.
Enrollment
Meetings or one-on-ones with your staff, in person or virtual. We explain the plan so you don’t have to.
Adds, drops, and changes
New hire Monday, someone leaving month-end, a baby born in April. Send it to us — we handle the carrier paperwork.
Claims and billing problems
Your employee calls us, not you. The single biggest thing this takes off your desk.
Renewal
We start early and market your group against other carriers — not a rate increase letter you have thirty days to react to.
Compliance
Section 125, COBRA and Connecticut state continuation, required notices, reporting. We flag what applies to you.
Plus ancillary lines — dental, vision, life, and disability. Often inexpensive to add and disproportionately appreciated by employees.
WHAT TO EXPECT
From first call to enrolled, and then next year too.
A short call
How many employees, roughly what ages, where they live, and what you’re trying to accomplish.
A census
Dates of birth, ZIP codes, and who needs dependent coverage. We’ll send the template.
Quotes
Real numbers from multiple carriers, with your cost and each employee’s cost side by side.
We stay on it
Enrollment meetings, carrier setup, ID cards. Then adds, drops, claims, and a renewal we start months early.
There’s no charge to you for any of this. We’re paid by the carrier.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions we get from owners.
How small can a group be?
In Connecticut, generally two enrolling employees. Rules around owners, spouses, and family members get specific — worth a call about your situation.
Do I have to cover dependents?
No. Carriers typically require contribution toward employee-only coverage. Spouses and children are your call.
What if some employees don’t want it?
Common, and usually fine. Those with other coverage generally don’t count against your participation requirement. We check before we quote.
Am I required to offer health insurance?
The federal employer mandate applies at 50 or more full-time equivalent employees. Below that it’s voluntary — most small employers offer it to compete for staff.
Is there a tax credit for small businesses?
There’s a federal credit for very small, lower-wage employers with specific conditions. Whether it applies is a question for your accountant — we’ll give them what they need.
Can you cover me as the owner?
Usually yes. How owners are treated varies by business structure, so let’s talk through yours.
BOOK A CONSULTATION
Tell us what you need. We’ll do the rest.
Fill out our form and we’ll contact you shortly, usually within 24 hours. If you prefer, you can also call us or text us at (203) 375-7511. We look forward to talking with you!
HOURS
Weekdays: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Weekends: By Appointment Only
Medicare Disclaimer: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to the plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Licensed in CT, SC, FL, NJ.