| If you are a small business owner, you want to offer | | | | Gather Information the Insurance Company Will Need |
| your employees the best small business health | | | | to Develop A Quote |
| insurance plan available. However, because health | | | | The rates for small business health insurance plans are |
| insurance can be among the most expensive items in | | | | based on such factors as |
| your budget, you also want to get a cheap rate. | | | | * The general age and health of your employees, |
| Decide What Kind of Small Business Health Insurance | | | | including tobacco use. |
| You Want to Offer | | | | * The hazards of the job. |
| Three types of small business health insurance plans | | | | * The location of the business. |
| are available: | | | | You need to collect this information before you shop |
| * Fee for Service plans are the most costly small | | | | for small business health insurance. |
| business health insurance plans. Your employees can | | | | Get Quotes from Multiple Companies |
| choose any doctor or hospital. They receive a fixed | | | | Now you are ready to compare the rates and |
| reimbursement for medical costs, usually around 80%. | | | | benefits of small business health insurance plans. The |
| * PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations) provide | | | | Internet makes this task easy. You can fill out a form |
| comprehensive health services but employees must | | | | online and receive quotes from multiple small business |
| choose a doctor and hospital that is part of the PPO's | | | | health insurance companies. |
| network. | | | | At some insurance sites, you can even chat online |
| * HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) are similar | | | | with insurance professionals, getting complete and |
| to PPOs in that employees must choose a doctor and | | | | accurate answers to all your insurance questions (see |
| hospital that is in the network. However, HMOs usually | | | | link below). Then you can choose which small business |
| offer fewer choices than PPOs and may require | | | | health insurance plan offers the cheapest rate for you |
| approval before an employee can visit a specialist. | | | | and your employees, while offering the best benefits |
| HMOs offer the cheapest rate for small business | | | | for your money. |
| health insurance plans. | | | | |