Health Insurance for Self/Employees

[yeshua]

I've been looking around for a good insurance plan for myself and my employees in a business that we are about to open. I've got a couple of options (your standard IBX, Aetna, etc). But I wanted to see if any other small business owners had any experience or recommendations on the best company/plan to get.

The initial number of employees would be small, 5-6 full time staff, to start; eventually getting up to ~15 at peak. We'd *like* to offer something for part time employees but most likely will not, at least initially. And we're more concerned with a good plan for the employees, rather than what is the cheapest.

[ADL]

I've been looking around for a good insurance plan for myself and my employees in a business that we are about to open. I've got a couple of options (your standard IBX, Aetna, etc). But I wanted to see if any other small business owners had any experience or recommendations on the best company/plan to get.

The initial number of employees would be small, 5-6 full time staff, to start; eventually getting up to ~15 at peak. We'd *like* to offer something for part time employees but most likely will not, at least initially. And we're more concerned with a good plan for the employees, rather than what is the cheapest.

I respect your desire to be a benevolent employer. But you've basically just laid out a business plan to run yourself out of business very quickly. I don't know if this is the first business that you owned, but I think you will find out very quickly that providing ANY health insurance, even the most basic coverage, makes it extremely difficult to stay in the black.

You're a lot better off starting with a very basic health plan for full time employees only. If you start out with a very rich benefit plan, it will be extremely difficult to reduce those benefits down the road when you realize your benevolence is driving you out of business.

[Brooke]

Yeah, I have a recommendation--use an insurance broker. I am set up as a company with 1 employee. Reason being is that they can't base my premium costs on my afflictions or something like that.

Anyway, a broker should be able to compare companies and options for you. What's best this year might not be the best come January 1 and you'll be able to renegotiate something with him or her when the time comes and your premiums change.

I use a guy, Sam Carpin. If you need his info, PM me.