The deadline is fast approaching for small businesses who want to sign up for a small group plan with only a few employees participating.
Through Dec. 15, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees can enroll in one of 10 plans through Access Health Connecticut and get a waiver for employee participation.
Franco Barrero, client relationship manager for Access Health Small Business, said interest in plans for small businesses has almost doubled this year.
“There’s a lot more urgency these days to offer health plans to the employees,” Barrero said.
It’s an employee marketplace and employees are looking not only at salaries, but benefits.
“Owners are calling at a much higher volume just because they understand the times right now,” Barrero said.
He said it’s possible for one or two people in a small business to get insurance in the small group market at the moment. However, this opportunity disappears after Dec. 15 and is only opened to businesses who are applying for the first time to the program.
This opportunity, called the Employee Participation Wavier Period for small businesses, is only offered to new groups not currently enrolled through Access Health CT Small Business.
“Employees are looking right now for companies that can offer them a competitive package,” Barrero said.
He said the first question employers are being asked these days, likely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is about health insurance benefits.
“It’s a much higher priority or importance for employees,” Barrero said.
Small businesses can enroll in a group health insurance plan at any time of year, but they usually need a certain percentage of employees to participate in the plan.
“This opportunity happens only once a year,” John Carbone, Access Health CT Director of Small Business and Product Development, said. “Requirements can be an obstacle and the employee participation waiver is designed to enable small business owners to access group health insurance plans they otherwise may not have been able to provide to their employees.”
Barrero said there are also tax advantages to having this type of insurance plan.
For more information about the program visit: AccessHealthCTSmallBiz.com to request a free quote.
