Can One Person Get Group Health Insurance? Yes, Here's How
Traditional small-group insurance wants two employees. There is a route that does not.
If you have called a broker about small-group coverage as a single-member business, you have probably been told you need at least two enrolled employees. That rule is real, and it is why most solo operators end up on the individual market by default.
How the solo route works
Some providers arrange coverage as a group plan that individuals and families can join directly, rather than requiring you to bring a payroll. Benefit Airship operates this way: individuals, families, and employees of participating companies all enroll into the same plans at the same published prices.
What that gets you
The main practical benefit is that pricing does not depend on your age. On the individual market a 58 year old pays substantially more than a 28 year old for identical coverage. Here they pay the same. There is also no medical exam and no health questionnaire at sign-up.
What to check before you commit
Three things, in order. Is your doctor in the Cigna network, or the PHCS backup? Is your medication actually covered rather than discounted? And are you comfortable with a twelve-month term, given that cancelling early triggers a twenty-four month wait before you can re-enroll?
It is not the marketplace
These are not ACA marketplace plans and buying one is not the same as buying one on the exchange. If you qualify for a marketplace subsidy, price that first — it may well be the better deal, and it is easy to check.