As employer health care costs skyrocket, it’s more important now than ever for businesses to stay informed on group health insurance news and trends. Any employer with less than 50 and more than two employees can qualify for small group health insurance.

Rising costs is a health care trend that worries many employers. Today, median costs of small group health insurance can range as high as more than 5% of a company’s total revenue. The following health insurance news and trends are just some of the topics on which you should keep a watchful eye.

1. Research group health insurance info to learn more about trends in various plans.

2. Read up on state incentives to help lower costs of group health insurance plans.

3. Learn how comprehensive health care reform can affect your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Research group health insurance policies

HMOs, POSs, PPOs, fee-for-service and MSAs are several well-known group health insurance plans. Of these plans, HMOs generally carry the lowest costs and the MSAs were designed to help small businesses afford health care coverage to employees. As insurers and employers try to find common ground in health care costs, many hybrid group health care plans also have surfaced.

I recommend: Learn more about the trends in group health care plans by checking out U.S. News. Check out the Public Record to read more about trends in rising health care costs.

Learn more about state incentives for group health insurance plans

Many states and group health insurance providers are teaming up to offer alternatives to lower costs. For example, Georgia's Governor signed off on high-deductible group health insurance plans designed to decrease the number of uninsured residents. Small businesses offering these high-deductible group health insurance plans will qualify for a $250 tax credit for each employee enrolled in such plans for a full year.

I recommend: Check out the National Conference of State Legislatures to read more about how states and providers of group health insurance are working to make group health insurance plans more affordable. Visit the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to find out more group health insurance info about what states like Georgia and Florida are doing to increase the number of insured residents.

Evaluate how health care reform affects group health insurance

The overall goal of comprehensive health care reform is to provide access to affordable individual and group health insurance coverage to all Americans. Some aspects of the reform package could promote affordable coverage for all employees despite health history, reduce administrative costs to employers and offer additional tax credits to help small businesses control rising health care costs.

I recommend: Read more info on group health insurance and reform by visiting the Center for American Progress. You may also learn more about state health care reform by visiting Fallon Community.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The best way to obtain affordable gorup health insurance is to shop around and review multiple group health insurance quotes. If you're finding that the health insurance quotes for small groups you are receiving are too high for your budget, try reducing coverage options or inquiring about plans that require more of an employee contribution.

If you think your company is too small to provide decent group health insurance coverage for your employees, think again. There's an abundance of different group health insurance plans available, even for the smallest of businesses.

Good group health insurance providers can find you a policy offering coverage ranging from just basic hospitalization to full-blown medical coverage.

Decent small group health insurance plans will include:

1. Hospitalization and surgery benefits.
2. Medical emergency room benefits.
3. An option for single or family coverage.
4. Visits to the doctor of your choice.
5. No need to undergo a physical exam to qualify.
6. Affordability for all participants in the group health insurance plan.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get a wide range of group health insurance quotes

Since there's a wide range of group health insurance services available, it's a good idea to get several quotes on premiums from different group health insurance providers.

I recommend: Major providers are more than willing to discuss the various options available to you and may be able to give you an instant group health insurance quote for coverage either on the phone or via their websites. A few of the major providers include Aetna Small Group, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, United Healthcare or a regional provider such as ConnectiCare.

Consider using an agency for a group health insurance quote

There are many agencies that can provide good group health insurance information on the various small group health insurance plans. Often it's easier to compare group health insurance quotes by obtaining group health insurance info from an agent who has researched the industry and can give you tons of choices.

I recommend: A few of these agencies available online are MostChoice, the Small Business Heath Insurance Network, netQuote, Health Insurance Finders and eHealthInsurance

Consider HMO, PPO or POS group health insurance services

There are several types of health group insurance plans including Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) and Point of Service (POS) plans.

I recommend: HMO and PPO plans require that you use specific doctors and hospitals, while a POS allows you to use any doctor or hospital you want. One of the biggest HMOs is Kaiser Permanente. Most health insurance companies offer a choice between HMO, PPO and POS plans including Cigna and AssurantHealth.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Offer your employees the option of paying a reduced premium for a group health insurance plan. They end up paying the full cost of the plan, but at a highly reduced rate, and you're able to give them coverage.
• •  Many health insurance providers won't insure part-time employees. Consider this if you're looking to provide coverage for all of your employees.
• •  Consider a 'cafeteria'-type plan, where your employees select the exact coverage they want. These can help reduce the cost of the coverage for you and your employees.

Group health insurance education and training programs have the ability to teach brokers and providers methods to retail their services to clients. Group health insurance plans provide employers the chance to receive health coverage that protects all members of their firm.

There are different facets of the health insurance industry and the training that you will need depends on the area that you work in. Group health insurance providers and brokers will likely have different concentrated courses.

1. Take classes to prepare you to enter the field of small group health insurance. Before you take a licensing exam, you’ll need preparation for the test.

2. Obtain a license in order to give group health insurance quotes. Brokers need to complete a training course before they present info on group health insurance.

3. Get credit for continuing education courses. Once you get your license, you’ll need to obtain CE credits in the field.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Take courses to prepare for group health insurance licensing exams

Courses that prep you for your licensing exam will include topics like different group health insurance plans, policy inclusions, underwriting and more. Once you complete these courses, you will have a better chance of passing the required licensing exam.

I recommend: American Investment Training has a training program for agents that prepare them to take their state exam. Topics covered include health insurance types, policies, disability, group health and others. The National Association of Health Underwriters has an education portal that will direct you to all of the training that you will need prior to licensing.

Get a license to provide group health insurance info

You're going to have to research your state's requirements before obtaining your license in order to find out the type of training that you need to complete in order to retail providers of group health insurance to perspective clients.

I recommend: The Agent Broker Training Center has licensing information on agents that plan to broker health and life insurance plans. Choose your state and the site will provide you with licensing requirements. Check out the New York State Insurance Department website to get an idea on how to obtain your license.

Complete continuing education classes on group health insurance services

Your education will be ongoing once you obtain your brokerage license. Your state has CE credit requirements in order to keep your license active and have the ability to provide group health insurance quotes.

I recommend: IRMI.com has a comprehensive catalog of continuing education courses for group health insurance agents in each state. Pricing of each class includes all course materials, including textbooks. America’s Health Insurance Plans has professional development courses that can be used for small group health insurance CE credits.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Most states require that a certain number of instruction hours are completed prior to applying for a group health insurance broker license. On average, 40 hours are mandated.

Whether you are in charge of finding suitable health insurance for your company, or you are an employee trying to figure out your company’s health insurance policy, you need to be familiar with group health insurance key terms. Without a good understanding of the terms used in the industry, you may not get all the services you are paying for. By learning group health insurance jargon, you can have a better chance of saving money on your health insurance premiums and getting the best possible medical care.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Copayment or copay

The copayment is the portion of the bill that the insured must pay. It generally applies to office visits, preventative care and prescription benefits. For example, a copay of $30 per doctor visit means the insured must pay $30 of the doctor's bill and the insurance pays the rest.

I recommend: Read more about copayment at United HealthCare Services.

Deductible

The debt on medical bills must reach a certain amount before the insurance pays the bill; this amount is known as the deductible. Some group health insurance coverage offers low deductibles, while other plans have a higher deductible to save on premium costs.

I recommend: The article in the New York Times entitled “The Many Hidden Costs of High Deductible Health Insurance” gives an explanation of how a health insurance policy deductible works.

Explanation of benefits (EOB)

The insurance company sends an explanation of benefits after you make a medical claim. The EOB explains what your copay covers, as well as how much you still owe toward your deductible. It also tells you how much, if any, you still owe your health care provider.

I recommend: HealthLink provides information about what you can expect to find on a typical explanation of benefits.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)

Your group health insurance may use a Health Maintenance Organization. This requires the individual to make use of designated doctors and health care facilities. HMO group insurance plans tend to cost less than traditional health insurance.

I recommend: Read about HMOs at CBS Interactive.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)

Preferred Provider Organizations or PPOs operate in a similar manner to HMOs, in that you have a list of doctors and health care facilities that provide your insurance company with discounted rates. PPOs differ from HMOs in that you have more freedom of choice as to your doctor or hospital.

I recommend: Find out more about PPO plans from Cigna.

Primary care provider

The primary care provider is the first doctor you see for any medical condition. Whether this person is a general practitioner or an internist, this person is your personal physician.

I recommend: Read more about primary care providers at eHealthInsurance Services.