How to Get Great Health Coverage on a Small Business Budget

 

Understand What Your Team Really Wants

Take ten minutes and actually ask your employees. Do they care more about low copays for doctor visits, solid maternity coverage, or affordable prescriptions for ongoing meds? Most groups have two or three non-negotiables. Build the plan around those priorities. Skip the extras nobody uses. You’ll cut hundreds off the monthly bill and still hand over a package everyone feels good about.

Work With a Broker Who Knows the Local Market

Trying to compare plans solo is exhausting and usually ends with paying too much. A sharp broker who focuses on health insurance for small businesses in Houston already knows which carriers are offering the best deals. And here’s the best part: the insurance company pays their fee, so you get expert help for free.

Claim the Tax Credit You’re Probably Missing

If you have fewer than 25 full-time employees, pay average wages under about $60,000, and cover at least half the premium, the federal government will hand you up to 50% of your cost back as a tax credit. Thousands of owners never claim it because they think the form is complicated. Takes twenty minutes with your accountant. That’s real money you can put straight back into the business or pass along as better benefits.



Pair a High-Deductible Plan With a Generous HSA Contribution

Employees freak out when they first hear “high deductible.” Then they realize the company is putting $4,000 or $6,000 or even $8,000 a year into an account they own forever, tax-free. That money pays the deductible and everything else: contacts, dental work, even retirement healthcare later. Premiums drop dramatically. Most employees end the year with cash left in the HSA and lower out-of-pocket costs than they had on the old “low-deductible” plan that cost the company a fortune.

Add Low-Cost Wellness Perks That Actually Move the Needle

Offer a $25 monthly gym reimbursement, run a simple step challenge with a $100 Visa gift card for the winner, or pay for everyone’s annual physical. These tiny investments pay off huge. Companies that do basic wellness see claims drop 15 to 25% in the first couple of years. Lower claims mean your renewal increase is tiny or even a decrease. Carriers start calling you instead of the other way around.

Lock in Savings Before Open Enrollment Ends

Pick one strategy today and run with it. Then call a local pro who can help understand your options. One good decision this month sets you up with better coverage and lower costs for years. Great benefits on a small budget aren’t a fantasy. They’re just the reward for refusing to pay more than you have to.

 

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