Best Small Business Health Insurance

Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit, integrated healthcare delivery organization. These organizations are also called integrated managed care consortiums. Kaiser takes a coordinated and connected approach to care, which provides convenience and savings for its members.

By offering comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and specialty coverage in their own facilities, Kaiser is able to provide a consistent member experience across each region more easily. They also save members money by ensuring they don’t have to see providers or use pharmacies/labs that might be out-of-network. The convenience of seeing a provider, getting tests done, filling your prescriptions, and scheduling your next appointment with a different provider, all in the same building on the same day, cannot be understated.

If you value integrated care, are located in a state where Kaiser operates, and don’t want to worry about balancing multiple providers for your employees, Kaiser Permanente is the best option for you.

Pricing for Kaiser will vary based on your location, number of employees, and chosen coverage. They make it easy for you to get a quote in under 15 minutes online. You can get three different kinds of quotes:

• All available plans quote
• Select plans quote
• Detailed quote (quote given for individual employees and their situations)

• Thrive Local community partner network
• Integrated care through a personal care team
• Telehealth
• Mobile app for medical records and communication

Kaiser’s coverage is currently limited to California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. While they have plans to continue expanding, Kaiser is at a slight disadvantage to other insurance providers because they don’t contract with other hospitals/facilities and have to build their own.

BCBS has a specific dedication to serving small businesses. BCBS companies provide coverage for around 7.3 million small business employees.

BCBS is America’s oldest health insurance provider (making it one of the most experienced) and is committed to providing health care coverage that’s high-quality and affordable.

If you’re looking to change insurance providers or offer health insurance for the first time, BCBS is a good option to consider. Because there are so many different providers and facilities that partner with or fall under the BCBS umbrella, there’s a good chance that your employees wouldn’t have to find a new PCP or doctor’s office.

BCBS does offer better options than Kaiser Permanente to those in need of specialty care/procedures, complex care, and management of chronic conditions through their Blue Distinction Specialty Care and Total Care plans.

If you have remote employees in different states/regions, want to work with local providers, or want to take advantage of workplace wellness plans, BCBS is the best choice for you.

In order to obtain a quote from BCBS for your small business, you will have to work with an insurance agent/broker. This means you’ll be waiting longer for your quote.

• Workplace wellness plans
• Blue365 health product discount program
• Local community-based insurance companies
• Telehealth through Anthem
• Chronic/Specialty care management plans

BCBS is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and even offers some international coverage, unlike the other options on our list.

UHC understands the critical nature of small business health insurance both in retaining/recruiting employees and sustaining productivity/satisfaction. Their small business health insurance plans are designed to help you save money while still providing for your employees’ well-being. They focus on the simplest experience, affordable coverage, and quality supported care for their members.

UHC offers specific plans for businesses with 2-50 employees through their Small Business Store. You can obtain a quote, compare popular plans, and purchase your perfect plan through this store.

Their plans all offer or sometimes even include additional coverage for your employees, like dental, vision, behavioral health, disability, life, and even pet insurance!

If your business has part-time or seasonal employees, you want to provide your employees with other forms of insurance beyond medical or want to take advantage of workplace wellness programs, UHC could be the best choice for you!

Like Kaiser Permanente, UHC makes it easy for you to obtain a quote. Using their Small Business Store, you’ll be able to see what deductibles, copays, and premium amounts are most popular for businesses like yours and get a quote in under 10 minutes.

If you happen to be in a state where the Small Business Store is unavailable, UHC will still provide a quote to you; just visit its website and choose your state.

• Benefit options for part-time and seasonal employees
• Telehealth
• In-app services
• Bundle discounts
• Vision, dental, hearing, disability and absence, pet, and life insurance benefits

UHC is available in 49 states (excluding New York) and Washington, D.C.

Oscar is about more than just health insurance. They are a company that claims to be there for its members no matter the question or issue, and their 24/7 customer support backs that up.

The Oscar app allows your employees to speak to a doctor online for no cost (for most plans), refill their prescriptions, message their care team, track deductibles, and even receive rewards for meeting fitness goals. From the comfort of home and $0, members are able to talk to a provider 24/7.

Cigna + Oscar also boasts $3 prescriptions for commonly prescribed medications, a team of care guides and a nurse who can answer questions and save members money, and providers dedicated to understanding the language, race, ethnicity, and health situation of every member.

If you’re a company that values accessibility, technology, and resides in one of their limited areas of coverage, Oscar is a great choice for you and your employees.

Cigna + Oscar small business health insurance is similar to BlueCross BlueShield in that you have to work directly with one of their agents to get a personalized quote.

Through their system of $0 virtual urgent care, $0 care teams, and no referrals, Oscar’s website claims that they can save your employees $600 on average per year, according to their 2018 data.

• 24/7 customer support
• $0 virtual urgent care
• Access to Cigna’s network
• Easy-to-use mobile app
• Telehealth

Oscar has fairly limited availability at this time. Oscar is available in Georgia, Tennessee, Connecticut, some Arizona counties, some California counties, the Philadelphia metro area, Kansas City, Chicago, and St. Louis.

Because this is a newer and unconventional insurance provider, Oscar is expected to continue to expand to larger areas in the near future.

Aetna provides health insurance support specifically designed for small businesses. They offer benefits typically reserved for larger groups, like surplus sharing, lower taxes and fees, and high-cost claims protection.

As an employer, you can receive a monthly payment based on the health trends of your employees for up to 25% savings upfront. You can also access online benefits shopping, enrollment, administration, and other simple and helpful features for you and your employees.

Aetna also offers public exchange options in select states through their Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) coverage.

Health expense funds included in their consumer-directed plans benefit both employers and employees. Employers receive tax savings from salary deductions, and employees get great care that encourages smart spending.

If you value 24/7 care at little to no cost, want to offer self-insurance to your employees, and want to offer more than just medical coverage, Aetna is a good choice for you!

Like BlueCross BlueShield and Oscar, Aetna’s quoting process is not instant. You will be contacted by an agent with plan options that would work for your business once you complete the information request form.

• Self-insurance funding options
• HSA accounts
• $0 copays for MinuteClinic services
• Medicare, dental, vision, supplemental, and Medicaid plans
• Convenient mobile app
• Telehealth

Aetna is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Keep in mind that not all covered regions have MinuteClinic locations, so that benefit might not apply to your plan.