A small agency can start a group plan sooner, and for less, than most owners expect.
Many home care owners assume a group plan needs a big payroll or a year-end enrollment window. In Michigan, a small group can start in any month, and the owner can decide how much to contribute, including nothing. If you are growing from a handful of caregivers, this is the page for the first plan.
The fear is the cost. The usual obstacle is the timing assumption.
What Is Actually True
A group can start with one W-2 employee. In Michigan’s small-group market the plan can begin on the first of any month. Read more →
The employer contribution can be zero. An employee-paid plan is allowed, so the agency can offer access without committing to a premium budget. Read more →
The mandate does not apply to small agencies. The ACA employer mandate starts at fifty employees counting full-time equivalents, so a small agency chooses whether to offer. Read more →
The bigger risk is offering too early without a plan for growth. Contribution and eligibility choices made at five caregivers can be hard to change at forty. Read more →
What We Do About It
We start with what you can afford. We design around the contribution you choose, whether that is zero or a defined share. Read more →
We pick a plan structure caregivers can use. We balance premium, deductible and network so the plan is accepted rather than declined. Read more →
We plan for the fifty-employee line. We map the point where the mandate begins so you cross it with the offer already built. Read more →
We keep it simple to run. Online enrollment and a clear eligibility rule keep a one-person office out of the paperwork. Read more →
From the first conversation to a plan on the first of the month.
Share The Basics
Your headcount, your hours and what you want to contribute is enough to begin.
Choose A Plan
We compare options on cost to the caregiver and on how well the network fits your service area.
Enroll And Start
We set up enrollment and aim for the next first-of-the-month effective date.
The questions agency owners ask us.
Plain answers, so you can decide before you call.
How many employees do we need to start a plan?
In Michigan’s small-group market a group can be set up with as few as one W-2 employee and can start the first of any month.
Do we have to pay part of the premium?
No. An employee-paid plan is allowed, so the owner can decide how much, if anything, to contribute.
Are we required to offer coverage?
The federal employer mandate applies to applicable large employers, generally 50 or more full-time employees including equivalents. Below that, offering is a choice.
Can part-time caregivers be included?
Eligibility is set by the plan and the carrier’s rules. We help you choose an eligibility rule that fits your schedule patterns.
What happens when we grow past fifty?
The mandate, affordability and reporting begin to apply. We plan ahead so the offer, contributions and measurement are ready before you cross the line.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm the rules that apply to your agency with your attorney or tax advisor.
Send us your renewal.
We’ll tell you whether it looks competitive, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier. No cost, and no obligation to move anything.
The renewal letter
Your current plan summary
Contribution split by tier
Enrolled counts by tier
Four documents, two more if your group is 50 or more. Nothing else; every extra one is a reason to postpone.
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