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Health Insurance for Small Business Owners in Ohio: Solo to 20 Employees
The right answer changes with headcount. Here's the path for Ohio business owners.
Just you (and family)
You're an individual buyer. Subsidy-eligible after deductions → HealthCare.gov. Above the line and healthy → private shared-network PPO on Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO. Deduct premiums above the line. Ohio has a state income tax and many cities add their own, so the self-employed health premium deduction helps at the federal and local level.
Two lives — you plus one
A spouse on payroll, a partner, or one W-2 employee opens the small-group market, which is guaranteed-issue with employer-style networks. For two healthy people it's often close to two private plans; for two people where one has a condition, it's frequently the best answer.
3–20 employees
Level-funded and traditional small-group plans. Employer contribution is tax-deductible to the business, and offering coverage is a hiring advantage in Columbus's labor market. Under 50 employees there's no mandate to offer it — it's a choice.
Mixed 1099 and W-2 teams
Common in Ohio: a couple of W-2 staff and a bench of 1099 contractors. The W-2s go on a group plan; the contractors each buy individually, and we can set them all up through the same office so nobody falls through.
Ohio's three big metros each have their own dominant health systems, so people who live in one city and work or travel in another often need a network that crosses them.
Check your options — tell us your headcount and we'll map the path.