Small Business Health Insurance - Should You Have a Group Health Plan?
Medical coverage is on the minds of most small business owners. If you run a home business, and do not have coverage through a spouse, you have probably considered individual plans. If you own a small business with a few employees, then you have probably wondered if a group health insurance plan would benefit your staff. If you already carry group medical, you may have been hit by rate increases that have you worried. If you do not carry a company plan, then your employees may have asked about it. Some of your valuable employees may have left for another company, and when you asked them why they quit, they may have told you that they were worried about medical costs for themselves, or their own company.
No doubt about it. A good group health insurance plan can help attract and retain quality employees. It is one benefit that people really value. Also, if you workers know that their doctor's visits are covered, they may be more likely to take care of minor health problems early, and in the long run, that can save both of you from much larger problems! Most small business owners want to provide coverage for their employees, but are concerned about the cost and administration.
As a business owner, you can find some tax deductions for the medical plan. You can also ask your employees to contribute a portion of the monthly premiums. So do not just consider the price tag, but also how much of that price your company actually has to pay. The great thing about a group plan is the federal protection you, and your employees will have. Everybody in the company will be accepted. The other big advantage is that you will be seen as a caring employer who wants your employees to be as healthy as possible.
That doesn't mean that guaranteed acceptance is cheap! Small groups can be very expensive, especially with older employees, or employees with health issues. Since you have fewer employees, you have less people to spread the risk over. If you have one or two employees with diabetes or heart problems, everybody will end up paying more.
That is why many small businesses are turning away from company plans. Instead, they offer to list bill individual plans for employees who can qualify. The company will deduct the premium from each employee's paycheck, and then turn around and pay the bill with that money. They may even be able to set this type of plan up so the employee contributions are tax deductible which should save their workers some money. Then they can pass some of the savings back to their employees in the form of increased pay.
This may actually benefit young and healthy workers. Individual plans will probably be cheaper than group plans for covered people without a prior health issue. The workers also get the advantage of being able to take their health coverage with them if they leave the company. Of course, as an employer, that is not a benefit you want to dwell on.
If some workers cannot get accepted for their own medical coverage, they may have to use your state's high risk plan. This may cost more for them, but again, they should be able to deduct expenses from their taxes. And again, you may be in a good position to pass on some of the savings to these employees. Be sure and provide your company with professional advice from a qualified, licensed professional so they know what their options are.
It is important for you to consider this important issue, and everybody in your company will be sure to thank you for any positive action you can take. Many small business owners do struggle with the problem of increasingly expensive medical coverage, but solutions are out there.
If you run your own business, you are busy. The last thing you need is the burdensome task of tracking down all of your available health coverage options! Use our fast, safe and free health insurance quote form to research small business health insurance!
If a group plan is not in your plans, you can also Compare Family Health Plans with one fast quote form!
http://www.247quoteus.com/compare-health-insurance-rates-online.html
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
Added: January 18, 2008
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