An Oregon group health insurance provider can issue a group policy for only a single eligible employee while one contract will cover the whole group. The group usually consists of the employees of a business, but also may be the members of a professional organization or labor union.

OR group insurance providers offer advantages in addition to medical care. The employer contributions for group health insurance are almost always tax deductible and group health insurance companies in Oregon also have lower premiums and greater coverage for a group health plan because the financial risk is distributed between all the members.

Three key points that affect Oregon health insurance group rates are:

1. The health provider network. An Oregon group insurance company usually requires that a policy holder's health care provider be a member of a designated preferred provider organization before the treatment will be covered.

2. The deductible is the amount the employee pays before receiving benefits from group health insurance. Oregon policies with lower deductibles are more expensive.

3. Policies with a higher coverage limit will be more expensive. This is the maximum amount that OR group health insurance providers pay for a given treatment.

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

Contact Oregon group insurance companies

Oregon does not allow medical underwriting, making it difficult for private carriers to provide health insurance.

I recommend: Complete the group health insurance census form at Loewenthal Insurance and mail or email it. Although many husband and wife partnerships qualify for group medical insurance, Oregon business owners should inquire about their particular situation.

Look at local agencies to provide OR group health insurance

Insurance agencies that specialize in your area will be familiar with the specific laws regarding health insurance in your state.

I recommend: Go to Century Insurance Group to get the best health plan for your small business. Century provide a complete range of insurance services, especially in central and eastern Oregon.

Apply directly with Oregon group health insurance carriers

A single insurance agency will usually have access to multiple providers of health insurance.

I recommend: Complete one of the online applications available at Gardner Insurance, which represent many of the major health insurers in Oregon.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Provide part-time employees with customized group health insurance. Oregon companies are usually best able to serve your employees with a less expensive plan that provides basic coverage for essential benefits and discounts on some services that are not covered outright. Flexible Spending Accounts are another method that a part-time employee can use to manage health care costs.
• •  Offer a consumer-driven group health insurance plan for employees who wish to be more engaged in their group medical insurance. Oregon plans usually offset a low-cost, high-deductible plan with Health Reimbursement Accounts and Health Savings Accounts that allow a member to manage expenditures more closely than with a traditional health care plan.