Medically reviewed by Jawad Arshad, MD, FACEP. Last reviewed: October 6, 2026.
Small business health insurance quotes online take about 15 minutes to request and a few days to come back complete. The hard part is not finding a quote form. It is giving every source the same information so the numbers can be compared fairly.
Key facts
- HealthCare.gov SHOP serves small businesses with 50 employees or fewer, and enrollment can go through an agent or broker (HealthCare.gov, 2026).
- Average annual premiums at firms with 10 to 199 workers were $9,211 for single coverage and $26,054 for family coverage in 2025 (KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey, 2025).
- Only 59% of firms with 10 to 199 workers offer health benefits, compared with 97% of firms with 200 or more workers (KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey, 2025).
- The small business health care tax credit is worth up to 50% of premiums for employers with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees and average wages under $67,000 (IRS Form 8941 instructions, 2025).
- Employers and employees each pay 7.65% FICA on wages, and premiums paid through a Section 125 plan are exempt from it (IRS Publication 15-B, 2026).
How do I get small business health insurance quotes online?
You can get small business health insurance quotes online in three ways: directly from a carrier's website, through an online broker platform, or through HealthCare.gov SHOP if you have 50 or fewer employees. Each route asks for the same core details, so gather them once and reuse them.
Table: Where to get small business health insurance quotes online
| Source | What you get | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier website | Plans from that one carrier, sometimes an instant range | You only see one carrier's plans and prices |
| Online broker platform | Several carriers in one request | Ask how the broker is paid and whether they quote every carrier in your area |
| HealthCare.gov SHOP | Marketplace plans for employers with 50 or fewer employees (HealthCare.gov, 2026) | Enrollment can go through an agent or broker, so confirm the steps for your state |
| Local broker | A person who compares carriers and handles renewals | Give the broker the same census you give everyone else |
Most "instant" online numbers are ranges. A real quote needs your employee ages, because group rates depend on who is on the roster. Treat any instant number as a starting estimate, then ask for a written quote.
Our best small business health insurance guide compares the main medical carriers. The Summit Health Benefits page on small business health insurance explains how a group plan and a Section 125 plan fit together.
Where can I get group health insurance quotes for a small team?
You can get group health insurance quotes for a small team from a carrier, a broker or SHOP, and a team of 2 to 10 people can use the same sources as a 50-person company. The difference is that very small groups should ask each source whether they qualify as a small group in their state.
HealthCare.gov (2026) defines a small business for SHOP as one with 50 employees or fewer. Some states set their own rules, so confirm the definition where you operate. If you are a one-person business with no employees, group coverage usually does not apply, and our guide to health insurance for small business owners covers the individual options.
What information do I need for a small group health insurance quote?
A small group health insurance quote needs your business zip code, the ages and zip codes of every enrolling employee, and the share of premium you plan to pay. Have these ready before you start, and every quote will come back faster.
Gather this list:
- Business details. Legal name, tax ID, zip code and industry.
- Employee roster. First name or initials, date of birth and home zip code for each employee, plus any spouse or children who will enroll.
- Your contribution. The percent of the employee-only premium you plan to pay, and whether you will help with dependents.
- Current plan. Your renewal letter, if you have one, so quotes can be matched plan to plan.
- Start date. The date you want coverage to begin.
Our group health insurance quotes checklist has the full version and the questions to ask when quotes arrive.
What is the best group health insurance for employers?
The best group health insurance for an employer is the plan whose network, deductible and monthly cost fit the team you actually have. No single carrier wins everywhere, because networks and prices change by county.
Use four tests: the doctors and hospitals your staff already use are in the network, the deductible is one your employees can afford, the employer share fits your budget every year, and the carrier will still be there at renewal. For a one-page comparison of carriers, read our best small business health insurance guide.
How do I compare group health quotes side by side?
Compare group health quotes by total yearly cost to your company, the employee share, and the deductible, in one table. The monthly rate alone hides the deductible and the employee cost.
Here is a worked example. The numbers are hypothetical so you can see the math. Your quotes will differ. A 10-person company receives three quotes for employee-only coverage and plans to pay 60% of each premium.
| Quote | Monthly premium per employee | Employer share (60%) | Employee share (40%) | Deductible | Company cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $520 | $312 | $208 | $5,000 | $37,440 |
| B | $565 | $339 | $226 | $3,500 | $40,680 |
| C | $610 | $366 | $244 | $1,500 | $43,920 |
The company cost is the employer share times 10 employees times 12 months. Quote A is $37,440 a year. Quote C costs the company $6,480 more, and it also costs each employee $36 more a month, but it carries a $1,500 deductible instead of $5,000. Ask your team which trade they prefer before you choose.
Our guide to small business health insurance costs shows what average premiums look like so you can check whether a quote is in range.
Can a Section 125 plan lower what a small business pays for group health quotes?
Yes. A Section 125 cafeteria plan lets employees pay their share of the premium before tax, which removes 7.65% FICA from your payroll on those dollars. The quote does not change, but your payroll tax bill does.
IRS Publication 15-B (2026) describes a cafeteria plan as a written plan that lets employees choose between cash and qualified benefits, including health premiums. Social Security is 6.2% on wages up to $184,500 in 2026, and Medicare is 1.45% with no cap (Social Security Administration, 2026).
Using Quote B from the table, each employee pays $226 a month. Assume a 12% federal bracket (IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, 2026).
| Line | Per employee per month | Whole team of 10 per month |
|---|---|---|
| Employee share paid pre-tax | $226.00 | $2,260.00 |
| Employer FICA avoided (7.65%) | $17.29 | $172.89 |
| Employee FICA avoided (7.65%) | $17.29 | $172.89 |
| Employee income tax avoided (12%) | $27.12 | $271.20 |
Each employee keeps about $44.41 more a month, or $532.92 a year. The employer saving of $17.29 per employee is below Summit Health Benefits' $35 per enrolled employee per month fee. A plan covers its own fee from premiums alone when an employee pays about $457 a month before tax ($35 divided by 7.65%). Family tiers, dental, vision and FSAs push most teams past that line, and Summit Health Benefits' typical planning range is $91 to $136 of employer FICA recapture per enrolled employee per month, which nets $56 to $101 after the fee (Summit Health Benefits, 2026). Run your real numbers in the maximizing FICA tax savings guide or the calculator.
Does a small business qualify for a tax credit when it buys group health insurance?
Some small businesses do. The credit is worth up to 50% of premiums for employers with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees, average annual wages under $67,000 and coverage bought through SHOP (IRS Form 8941 instructions, 2025).
The credit runs for two consecutive tax years, and it phases out as headcount and wages rise (IRS, 2025). Read our small business health care tax credit guide for the full rules before you pick a quote, because the credit only applies to SHOP coverage.
What should I send to a broker when I ask for quotes?
Send your roster, your contribution rule and your renewal date, then ask every broker the same five questions. Matching the request is what makes the answers comparable.
Copy this email and send it as written:
Subject: Group health quote request for our team
>
Hi, we are shopping group coverage for a start date of [date]. Attached is our census with ages and zip codes. We plan to pay [percent]% of the employee-only premium. Please send: (1) quotes from every carrier you can place in our county, (2) the deductible, out-of-pocket maximum and network for each plan, (3) the employee cost for employee-only, employee plus spouse and family tiers, (4) the renewal rate history, and (5) how you are paid. Thank you.
Also ask each broker whether employee premiums can be paid pre-tax through a written Section 125 plan. Our guide to health insurance brokers and Section 125 explains how the two work together.
Get Your Free Plan Design
A Summit Health Benefits advisor puts your quotes next to a Section 125 setup and shows the tax math for your headcount. No cost and no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get small business health insurance quotes online?
What do I need for a small business health insurance quote?
Where can I get group health insurance quotes for a small team?
How much do group health insurance quotes cost?
Can employees pay their share of a group health quote before tax?
Does a small business get a tax credit for buying group health insurance?
Sources: HealthCare.gov, Marketplace for small business, 50 employees or fewer (2026); KFF, 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey (2025); IRS, Instructions for Form 8941, Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums (2025); IRS Publication 15-B, Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits (2026); Social Security Administration, Contribution and Benefit Base and tax rates (2026); IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, 2026 inflation adjustments (2025); Summit Health Benefits, plan pricing and FICA recapture ranges (2026).