With Open Enrollment upon us, many individuals and families access the health insurance market seeking the right coverage. 

If you are a small business owner, you may be wondering what to expect and what to prepare for as far as supplying your employees with health insurance. You may also be wondering what qualifications you need to meet and what you need to expect as an employer providing benefits for your employees. 

Here is what small businesses should know about health coverage for employees. 

1) How big is your small business?

Is your company an “ALE”? An “ALE” is an Applicable Large Employer with over 50 full-time employees.  If your company is an ALE, you will need to start offering insurance to your employees. If your business does not qualify yet as an ALE, you do not need to offer insurance. However, such a benefit could be an incentive to future employees, and help grow your company. 

2) Full-time or part-time employees? 

If you have 50 employees or more and they are full-time employees or full-time equivalents, your company would be an Applicable Large Employer. Moreover, at least 50 of your employees need to be full-time equivalents to make you an ALE. If you have 25 full-time equivalent employees and 25 part-time employees, you need not offer insurance benefits. 

3) Advantages of offering health insurance as a small business owner

Offering health insurance to your employees offers quite a few advantages that you might have not thought of yet:

Providing health insurance could be an incentive for employees to stay at your company.  

Health insurance for employees could give your company a competitive edge and give you the opportunity to stand out among other employers. Adding health insurance as part of a benefits package can help you as a business owner recruit and retain great employees!

4) What about the “Family Glitch”? 

Recently, the “Family Glitch” resolved in favor of families seeking health coverage sponsored by employers. In past years, many families fell through the cracks of the healthcare system. Only the employee could afford insurance sponsored by the employer. But the employee’s family members could not afford that coverage. This year, the Biden administration resolved this “Glitch” in the 2013 ACA law.  Now, families can access full coverage with employer-sponsored health insurance or through the individual market if dependent coverage is deemed unaffordable.  

Are you a small business looking for group plans and coverage for your employees? Reach out to Healthedly to get a free quote and answers to any other questions you may have. Call 855-522-2201 for more information!