Consumer Guide to Health Care

Insurance If You Run a Small Business

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General information

Health Insurance for Small Employers and Their Employees: This guide from the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance provides information on the Small Employer Health Insurance Law and contains listings of insurers offering coverage to small businesses with monthly premiums for three hypothetical groups.

Working with an agent

If you are trying to decide whether to work with an insurance agent or to contact the insurance companies directly, keep in mind that some insurance companies only work through agents/brokers while some agents only offer insurance for one or two insurance companies.

• Information about finding an agent may be available from the Association of Health Insurance Advisors (AHIA), a group representing health insurance professionals. You can also try the Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin or the membership directory of the Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin.
• If you decide to work with one or more agents, check the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance to be sure their licenses are currently active.

More information from the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

• Requirements Applicable to Small Employer Health Benefit Plans 
• Finding the Right Coverage  
• Checklist and Worksheet for Comparing Health Insurance Policies  
• Small Employer Uniform Employee Application for Group Health Insurance (PDF, 154 KB)
• Other information on group health insurance

Health spending accounts

There are several types of accounts that employers can provide to their employees to help pay for health care expenses not covered by a health plan. These include Flexible Spending Accounts, Medical Savings Accounts, and Health Reimbursement Arrangements. Information on these types of accounts is available.

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Last Revised: July 01, 2008