I’ve noticed that shopping group health insurance small business plans are not as complex as people might think it is. With a small business health insurance plan, we have more insurance companies to choose from, different families with different medical needs and everyone is looking at cost.
That being said… don’t be intimidated by a group health insurance plan. They have some great advantages for the employees and the companies who set them up. It’s is slightly more complex to set up but easier to run from year to year. Also, if you have a good health insurance broker they should be handling most of the complex pieces for you.
Finding a plan
To get the process started all I need is a one-page Group Health Insurance Plan quote form completed. This is just basic information I need in order to see prices. I can use this same information for every health insurance company. Your personal identifiable info is not shared with them so they won’t be marketing to you or contacting you. The group health insurance quotes are always free as well.
Next, I come back with prices and plans. I compare every company side-by-side. Some companies have 30+ pages of documents they want you to read through in order to understand their plans. I’ve already done that and put the most frequently used services, in English, in a side-by-side grid.
I prefer to meet at this point or at least have a phone call about the plans. Different medical needs, total prices, doctors, and prescriptions usually factor in determining the plan. This is where I can answer any questions about specific situations.
Enrolling
After a plan is chosen I will need 4 things in order to start the plan.
- A Quarterly Wage and Tax Statement or payroll records showing everyone on the plan.
- A master application (which I will help complete).
- The first month’s premium payment.
- Enrollment forms or waivers for everyone. (the only form that’s required from the employee)
That’s all I need to start group health insurance plans. After that, the insurance company will send out permanent ID cards to the employees. Temporary cards can be sent out earlier upon request.
I’ve left some details out such as timing deadlines and who needs to be on the plan and particularities with each insurance company. The best thing to do is to contact our office and see if a group plan is the best choice.
