Last Chance: Small Business Health Insurance Special Deal
NY small businesses have until December 15th to grab group health plans with just 2 employees—no employer contribution required.
If you're a New York business owner putting off group health insurance because you think you need 20+ employees or can't afford the employer contributions, I have news that could change everything. There's a special enrollment period running right now—but it ends December 15th, which means you have less than a week to act.
What Changed
The ACA requires insurers to offer their best group health insurance plans to small businesses during a special enrollment window each year. According to recent reports, this year's window is particularly attractive because individual ACA premiums have become unaffordable for many—premium subsidies were reduced, leaving millions unable to afford marketplace plans. The timing creates an opportunity: businesses with as few as 2 employees can now access group rates that are often better than individual plans, with zero employer contribution required. Plans purchased by December 15th become effective January 1, 2026.
Who This Affects
This applies to New York businesses with 2-50 employees. Here's what makes it incredibly flexible: only one employee needs to participate in the plan. So if you're a 10-person company and only your office manager wants the coverage, that works. The business can offer the plan, employees pay 100% of premiums through payroll deduction (getting the tax advantage), and you've now got a group health plan in place. This is especially valuable for businesses in the startup phase, professional services firms, and any company where employees previously bought individual coverage or went without insurance entirely.
What You Need to Do
- Apply between now and December 15th—there's no extension on this deadline
- Gather basic business information: employee count, zip codes where employees live, and approximate ages
- Decide on contribution strategy (remember, 0% employer contribution is allowed)
- Set up payroll deduction for participating employees to get pre-tax premium benefits
- Review plan options—insurers must offer the same comprehensive coverage they provide to large groups
The NY Angle
This opportunity is particularly relevant in New York, where 940,000 New Yorkers remain uninsured and many find healthcare unaffordable even with coverage. NY State of Health marketplace plans are seeing significant premium increases—some projections show nearly 40% increases if federal premium tax credits aren't extended. For New York businesses, offering group coverage now positions you ahead of these individual market challenges. Plus, group plans integrate smoothly with New York's Paid Family Leave and Disability Benefits requirements—something individual plans don't always coordinate well with. As we covered in our recent analysis, the cost pressures hitting the individual market make group coverage more attractive than it's been in years.
Need help navigating this? Benton Oakfield's compliance team works with businesses like yours every day. We can review your current setup and make sure you're covered. Reach out - it's what we do.
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