Group health insurance allows employer groups or other qualifying organizations to obtain health insurance as a group by spreading risks and costs across a number of individuals and their dependents.
Typically, group health coverage is less expensive than Individual and Family
health insurance, and you cannot be turned down for coverage based upon the medical histories or conditions of the group’s members.
In fact, group health coverage is referred to as "guaranteed issue" coverage. So long as you qualify as a "group" under the law, you cannot be turned down for coverage.
Group health insurance is a valuable tool for employers, often helping them to hire and retain the best workers and encourage overall employee health, which can lead to increased production.
There are valuable tax incentives available to employers who offer group health coverage, incentives which can help the employer to mitigate the cost of
providing such coverage.
Costs are typically split between the employer and the employee, though the employer may opt to cover for employee’s full monthly premium.
Most plans require that the employer cover at least 50% of the employee’s monthly premium.
Small Business/Group insurance plans come in the same variety of choices that one finds in the Individual and Family health insurance market, indemnity and managed-care plans, the latter including HMO, PPO, and POS plans.
