Choosing Health Insurance For Your Commercial Cleaning Employees

Not all potential employees are simply focused on hourly wages; they require life perks, like flexible hours, training, advancement opportunities, and health insurance. Out of all of these, health insurance is probably the most important. You are required to provide health insurance if you have 50 or more employees. But offering it even when you are not federally mandated can end up being an advantage, not only for your employees but also for you and your business.

Choosing Health Insurance For Your Commercial Cleaning Employees

A Few Statistics:

• The number of uninsured adults between the ages of 18 and 64 stayed at 11% between March 2019 and April 2021.
  
  
• Although the number of adults insured by public health insurance rose by 9 million, those covered by their employers' plans fell by 5.5 million.
  
  
• Even before COVID-19, the uninsured rate for some groups of people was far higher than others.
  
  
• For example, 20% of the Hispanic community lacked insurance in 2019.
  
  
• 14 states had higher than 12% uninsured in 2019: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. Of these, Texas had the highest uninsured rate: 20.9%.
  
  
• According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), in 2019, 73.7% of uninsured nonelderly adults said they were uninsured because coverage is not affordable.
  
  
• Fully 29% of Americans lost health insurance at some point in 2020. This includes 51% of Gen Z-ers and 36% of Millenials.

You have clearly made it a priority to operate a well-run, efficient, conscientious, and profitable business. Just the fact that you are working with The Janitorial Store to build your success attests to that fact. Now it's time to augment the Roadmap to Hiring Success with some serious health insurance research.

What should you be looking for in a health insurance provider?

We know that cost is important when you are deciding on health insurance for your employees, but there are many other necessary factors:

1. Expansive provider network: Think big. Your small cleaning business could expand quickly, and you don't want to have to start the search for a provider from scratch if you add additional locations.
   
   
2. Data-driven healthcare solutions: With the wealth of information healthcare companies have to deal with (look at the statistics and trends for COVID-19 alone), providers have to be able to aggregate data effectively.
   
   
3. Innovative technology: For example, it is useful for patients to be able to have doctor “visits” online, or to be able to take advantage of symptom checkers driven by artificial intelligence.
   
   
4. Ease of comparing plans online: You and your employees don't always have the time to speak to customer service representatives when signing up for specific healthcare plans. It is helpful to be able to easily compare various plans online with easy-to-read charts.
   
   
5. Strong customer service: Just as it is important for your business to have strong customer service, it is also important for your healthcare insurance company. Your customers want to find a professional and courteous voice on the other end of the line when they phone; you should expect no less from the provider you deal with.
   
   
6. Plan details are on the website: Plans should be explained clearly and comprehensively.
   
   
7. High levels of customer satisfaction: Read reviews online and listen to what other small business owners have to say.
   
   
8. Health expense fund options: You and your employees may be interested in a company that offers flexible spending accounts (FSAs) or health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs).
   
   
9. Strong emphasis on preventative care: Ideally healthcare prevents catastrophes and helps clients maintain --or improve-- their health.
   
   
10. Range of plan options: Larger companies are better equipped to customize healthcare plans.

Additional factors that will be important for you and your employees:

• Find out if there are options for HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) or PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations).
  
  
• Look at the coverage limits for each type of service.
  
  
• Look at deductibles and copays. Are they prohibitively expensive?
  
  
• Determine if your employees will be able to keep their own physicians. Are they in-network?
  
  
• Are there any exclusions? Almost all workers have some sort of pre-existing conditions, so it won't be helpful for them to be excluded from healthcare as a result.
  
  
• You want to deal with a solid company that isn't going to go out of business, so look at financial ratings and consider the company's reputation.
  
  
  

And finally…cost. Yes, we said that cost isn't the only factor, but it is certainly a factor in your decision -- and an important one at that.

SHOP ( Small Business Health Options Program)

SHOP is a platform created by the Affordable Care Act that makes it easier to search for small businesses of up to 50 employees to compare health insurance plans and to enroll in coverage. Unfortunately, it didn't take off in all states, so you will have to research the procedure in the state where you own your business. One advantage is the year-round enrollment period available throughout the year.

As of 2021, these states (or, in some cases, only portions of these states) offered SHOP-certified plans on The Marketplace, according to HealthInsurance.Org:

• Alabama (from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama)
• Georgia (from Kaiser)
• Maine (from Community Health Options)
• Montana (from PacificSource and Montana Health Cooperative)
• New Hampshire (from Anthem/Matthew Thornton)
• New Jersey (from Horizon HealthCare Services)
• Ohio (from AultCare)
• Virginia (from CareFirst, GHMSI, and Kaiser)
• Wisconsin (from Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, and Common Ground; there were SHOP plans available from Group Health Cooperative as of 2019, but they were no longer available as of 2020)
• Wyoming (from Montana Health Cooperative; this is new as of 2021, with the CO-OP's expansion into Wyoming in both the individual and small group market)
  
  

The following states (and the District of Columbia) offer SHOP plans through their own exchanges:

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• DC
• Idaho
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Mexico (uses HealthCare.gov for individual plans but has its own exchange for small group plans)
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Vermont

Another advantage to SHOP is the fact that you may qualify for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit if you have 1-25 full-time employees who make an average of $50,000 or less per year. This tax credit only lasts for 2 years, though.

How to enroll through SHOP

Note: The government has changed the way businesses can sign up for SHOP:

You should not create an account, log into your existing account, or start an application on HealthCare.gov for SHOP coverage, even if that is how you have enrolled in SHOP coverage in the past.

You have 2 options for enrolling:

1. Work with a SHOP-registered agent or broker. You can use your current agent or broker or find a new one, as long as the agent or broker is registered with the applicable Marketplace to sell SHOP insurance. Find an agent or broker today using Find Local Help or Help On Demand.
   
   
2. Contact your insurance company and sign up with them. If you are searching with HealthCare.gov's See SHOP Plans and Prices tool, you may want to write down some important information such as the plan name, metal level, plan type, and plan ID to have handy when you contact the insurance company.

And finally:

Employees are more likely to take a job at a lower salary if they are provided with affordable health insurance. You could be one of 66% of small business owners who offer health insurance to their employees. They will benefit, and your business will too by having improved morale and healthier employees who take fewer sick days.

At The Janitorial Store, we are committed to partnering with you as you grow your cleaning business. Our database of resources is a “goldmine” to small business owners like yourself. Whether you are in the early stages of building your business or a well-established owner, this website offers a wealth of in-depth information, resources, and training that you won't find anywhere else on the Internet.

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