2023 Small Group Insurance Carriers

How to Choose the Best Health Insurance Carrier For Your Needs in the Group Market
A small group is considered a group with under 50 employees. Most carriers will need two people minimum in order to proceed with a group plan but there are a couple of carriers that do allow you to have a one person group.
The , group market offers larger networks and more options than the individual market, however there is no access to subsided rates. Rates considered fully insured are “as is” and there is no ability to negotiate. These rates are simply based on age and zip code of the company or group being covered.
Level Funded rates are underwritten which means that the carrier will indeed consider age, zip code as well as health of members and sex.
Small Group Fully Insured carriers include:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Humana
- United Health Care
- Oscar
Small Group Level Funded carriers include:
- Humana Level Funded
- Aetna
- United Health Care Level Funded
- AllState Benefits
- Nationwide
Depending on the size of your group there will be different carriers available. Choosing the best priced plans that meet your network and usage needs is key.
BCBS and UHC tend to lead the charge in the small group fully insured market, as their rates are usually better than their competitors. When choosing between BCBS and UHC it is important to understand network and important coverage components like medication and/or mental health needs. BCBS has a more robust network when it comes to chiropractors and mental health therapists. UHC is better at covering formulary medications.
In the Level Funded market it is very important to note that your rates are preliminarily provided and then fully underwritten when the actual submission is made. As long as the census used at time of quoting is what is used at the time of submission you should not see a difference in rates. Due to the plan being level funded you will get access to more information such as claims data. This will allow you to track your group and forecast for the upcoming renewal vs a fully insured plan for a small group; as such information is not available.
We are happy to help you dive in deeper and assist you in choosing the best carrier for your needs. , Contact us today to get started.




