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Health Insurance for Small Business Owners in New York: Solo to 20 Employees
The right answer changes with headcount. Here's the path for New York business owners.
Just you (and family)
You're an individual buyer. Subsidy-eligible after deductions → NY State of Health. Above the line and healthy → private shared-network PPO on MagnaCare PPO. Deduct premiums above the line. New York (and New York City) income taxes are among the highest in the country, so the self-employed premium deduction is worth real money here.
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 New York City'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 New York: 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.
New York uses pure community rating — a 25-year-old and a 64-year-old pay the same marketplace premium — and the state restricts most non-ACA plans. Private options in New York are narrower than in other states, so the honest answer here is usually a careful comparison, not a promise of savings.
Check your options — tell us your headcount and we'll map the path.