Group Insurance
Group insurance is a form of health insurance offered through an employer or other organization to cover a group of people, such as employees of a company or members of an association.
In the United States, group insurance operates under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Labor.
Benefit for companies
Offering group insurance can provide tax benefits for the company.
Group insurance costs are generally considered tax-deductible business expenses. In addition, employers can take advantage of economies of scale by negotiating more favorable insurance rates and premiums compared to individual insurance. This can generate significant savings for the company.
Offering group insurance to employees is a strategic investment in a company’s long-term success. Not only does it benefit employees, but it can also have a positive impact on productivity, job satisfaction and talent retention.
Features
1. Employers must have at least a certain number of employees, which varies by state and the definition of small business, to be eligible to offer group insurance.
2. Under current law, there is no legal obligation for employers to offer group insurance to their employees. However, the ACA provides a penalty for certain employers with 50 or more full-time employees if they do not offer affordable minimum insurance coverage.
3. Group insurance must meet the minimum essential benefit requirements established by the ACA. This means that the plan must provide comprehensive coverage that includes services such as preventive care, emergency services, hospitalization, outpatient care, maternity care, mental health care, among others.
4. Under the ACA, group insurance cannot deny coverage or increase premiums based on the health condition of an employee or his or her dependents. This means that employees with pre-existing conditions cannot be excluded or pay higher premiums because of their health status.
5. Employers may establish eligibility requirements such as working a minimum number of hours or meeting certain length-of-service criteria. However, once employees qualify to join the plan, they cannot be denied coverage because of their health status.
It is important to note that laws and regulations may vary by state and company size.