Running a small business means watching every dollar, yet health coverage keeps edging up the cost column. Premium notices rarely come with good news, and owners often feel caught between protecting employees and protecting margins.
According to the 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey, the average annual premium for employer-sponsored family coverage reached $23,968, while workers at small firms paid more than $6,575 of that cost. Rising prices have many leaders wondering whether a traditional carrier plan is still the smartest play.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is the familiar option for companies in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and western New York. Its name recognition and broad network give it instant credibility.
BusinessInsurance.Health, however, helps owners explore three alternative routes that can preserve Blue-level access while trimming costs: PEO group plans, level-funded self-funded arrangements, and Taft-Hartley and multi-employer trusts.
In this article, we’ll discuss the following topics:
- Comparing Highmark Small Business Health Insurance and Cost-Saving Alternatives
- BusinessInsurance.Health vs. Highmark Small Business Plans
- Highmark Small Business Health Insurance: Plans and Features
- Affordable Health Insurance for Small Business: Exploring Alternative Options
- Finding the Best Fit: Highmark vs. Alternative Group Health Insurance Plans
- Bigger Savings, Greater Flexibility: BusinessInsurance.Health Delivers Affordable Coverage
Comparing Highmark Small Business Health Insurance and Cost-Saving Alternatives
Premium growth rarely pauses, and it now outpaces general inflation. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, rising health costs are the top operating concern for more than half of small-business owners. That pressure lands hardest on firms with fewer than fifty employees, where margins leave little room for large rate increases year after year.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield offers a trusted network and straightforward enrollment, yet its fully insured and Balanced Funding options remain inside the Affordable Care Act’s small-group framework. Plan designs are fixed, and community-rated premiums can make it difficult to reward a healthier workforce with lower rates.
BusinessInsurance.Health opens additional paths. By using PEO group contracts, level-funded self-funded plans, and Taft-Hartley multi-employer trusts, the platform pools risk on a much larger scale than any single small employer can reach alone. These alternatives deliver two major advantages:
- Lower net premiums: Savings often range from twenty to fifty percent compared with traditional small-group rates, depending on employee census and location.
- Custom benefit design: Employers can adjust deductibles, copays, and wellness perks instead of accepting a carrier’s one-size-fits-all template.
BusinessInsurance.Health vs. Highmark Small Business Plans
| Factor | BusinessInsurance.Health Solutions | Highmark Small Business Plans |
| Premium Costs | Large-group or self-funded pricing often cuts premiums 20 – 50% for healthy or pooled groups | Community-rated or medical-underwritten rates often rise each renewal; PA small-group filings show ~4 % average increase for 2024 |
| Underwriting | PEO options require only a census for approval; Taft-Hartley plans have no medical questionnaires. Level-funded plans may or may not require medical health questionnaires, depending on the provider. | Balanced Funding typically requires detailed health questionnaires; fully insured plans provide no rate advantage for healthier teams. BIH can offer these options, depending on client eligibility |
| Network Choice | Access to national PPO networks such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, or UHC; Our preferred Taft-Hartley uses BCBS PPO nationwide | Limited to Highmark’s regional BCBS network and its national reciprocity agreements |
| Administrative Load | PEO model bundles payroll, HR, compliance, workers’ comp, and benefits admin so owners can offload day-to-day tasks; Taft Hartley and level funded do not impact pre-existing payroll, HR, workers’ compensation, and compliance systems | Employer or broker must manage enrollments, payroll deductions, COBRA, ACA reporting, and claims issues |
| Plan Design Flexibility | Large-group contracts allow custom deductibles, copays, and wellness incentives to match the budget | Small-group templates fixed by carrier and ACA metal tiers; customization is minimal |
| Claim Surplus Refunds | Level-funded plans return up to 100 percent of unused claim dollars to the employer | Balanced Funding shares back only a portion of any surplus after carrier fees and reserves |
| Rate Stability | Multi-employer pooling smooths risk; some trust plans lock rates for up to two years | Rates reset yearly and can swing sharply after a high-claim year |
Small Business Health Insurance: Challenges and Considerations
Rising premiums and tight labor markets force owners to weigh every dollar spent on coverage against the need to attract and protect employees. Two points dominate the conversation: cost pressure and talent retention.
The Rising Costs of Employee Health Benefits for Small Businesses
The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that the average family premium at small firms climbed to $25,572 in 2024, up 24% since 2019. Owners shoulder much of that increase. An NFIB survey ranks the cost of health insurance as the No. 1 chronic problem for small businesses, unchanged since 1986. With premiums rising faster than wages or general inflation, many companies limit plan choices or drop coverage altogether, eroding employee security and pushing some workers onto individual markets.
Why Offering Good Coverage Matters for Small Employers
Cost challenges do not erase the value of a strong health plan. Gusto’s 2024 State of Small Business Survey found that firms offering health insurance were 13% more likely to report no trouble finding employees and 25% more likely to say staff exceeded performance expectations compared with peers that offered other perks but no health plan.
Coverage signals commitment to employee well-being, bolsters morale, and cuts turnover costs that can easily surpass premium savings. The task, then, is to secure meaningful benefits without letting premiums outpace revenue, an area where alternative funding models can help.
Highmark Small Business Health Insurance: Plans and Features
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield serves employers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and western New York with a mix of fully insured and partially self-funded offerings. All plans sit on the Blue network, so employees can visit most physicians and hospitals nationwide while the company works with a single regional carrier for billing and support.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Advantage for Small Employers
While Highmark offers an extensive provider network, it's crucial to consider the broader context of small business health insurance. According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), over half (56%) of small employers currently offer health insurance to employees, with cost being the most commonly cited reason for not offering it. Highmark's plans, including their balanced funding options, can be tailored to meet the specific needs of small businesses, potentially offering cost-effective solutions.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Small Business Plans through Highmark
Highmark markets two main funding models:
- Fully insured ACA metal-tier plans. Employers choose a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum design. Rates are community-rated, so age bands and geography, not employee health, drive premiums. Plans cover all ten essential health benefits, follow preventive-care rules, and renew each calendar year.
- Balanced Funding (Highmark’s level-funded option). Employers pay a fixed monthly amount that funds claims up to a cap. Stop-loss coverage protects against high claims, and any unused dollars may be shared back at year-end. This structure offers potential savings if the workforce is relatively healthy, but it also requires health questionnaires during underwriting.
Blue Access for Employers: Highmark’s Digital Tools & Resources
Highmark’s employer portal, Blue Access for Employers, consolidates enrollment, billing, ID-card requests, and eligibility changes in one dashboard.
Administrators can:
- Add or terminate employees in real time
- View invoices and pay premiums online
- Download compliance documents and plan summaries
- Track wellness-program participation
Is Highmark Small Business Health Insurance the Right Choice for You?
Choose Highmark if your top priority is a single, nationally recognized carrier with a vast provider network and turnkey plan administration. The trade-off is cost predictability. Community-rated premiums protect groups with higher-risk employees but offer limited reward for healthier companies, and Balanced Funding still passes some risk back to the employer.
If your company seeks maximum network breadth and prefers a familiar Blue Cross brand, Highmark can be a solid fit. If reducing premiums or customizing benefits ranks higher on the priority list, consider the alternative funding models that follow to see whether they deliver better value for your workforce and your budget. In addition, some Taft Hartley plans provide the same Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO network as Highmark’s at a lower price.
Affordable Health Insurance for Small Business: Exploring Alternative Options
Highmark is not your only path to reliable coverage. By stepping outside the small-group market, many owners discover ways to lower premiums, boost flexibility, and even lighten their HR workload. BusinessInsurance Health guides clients toward three proven alternatives.
PEO Business Health Insurance: Group Buying Power & HR Support
A Professional Employer Organization pools hundreds of small firms under one large-group policy. That scale lets you tap pricing similar to companies with thousands of employees, while the PEO also handles payroll, compliance, and benefits administration. According to the National Association of PEOs, clients save up to 30% on health premiums compared with traditional small-group plans. Business Insurance Health has helped businesses save up to 52% while maintaining coverage.
Level-Funded Self-Funded Plans: A Small Group Health Insurance Alternative
Level-funded plans combine a fixed monthly payment with the protection of stop-loss insurance. If claims run below projections, unused funds return to the employer at renewal instead of becoming carrier profit. Groups with a healthy census often see twenty to forty percent lower net costs over three years and gain the freedom to tweak deductibles or add tailored wellness perks.
Taft-Hartley Trust Plans: Big Savings with a Union-Style Group Plan
A Taft-Hartley multi-employer trust lets unrelated businesses join the same nationwide Blue Cross PPO contract. Premiums are community-rated, so age, industry, and location do not spike your rates, and annual increases have averaged under three percent for the past five years. There is no medical underwriting, and employers keep their current payroll provider. For teams that value broad provider access yet need predictable, stable pricing, this plan can be a game-changer.
Finding the Best Fit: Highmark vs. Alternative Group Health Insurance Plans
Choosing a health plan is rarely about one feature. Cost, network, risk tolerance, and administrative bandwidth all shape the decision. The quick guide below highlights how Highmark compares with the options available through BusinessInsurance Health.
Highmark Small Business Health Insurance vs. BIH Alternatives: Key Takeaways
| Decision Point | Highmark Plans | BIH Alternatives |
| Premium Model | Community rated or medically underwritten | Large-group pooling or self-funding often trims costs 20–40 percent |
| Network Access | Strong Blue network in core states with reciprocal BlueCard coverage | Equal or broader PPO access through BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, UHC, or Reference-Based Pricing, depending on the solution |
| Rate Stability | Annual renewals, typically single-digit to low double-digit hikes | Multi-employer pooling or surplus refunds generally have lower premiums increases |
| Administrative Burden | Employer handles payroll deductions, COBRA, and ACA reporting | PEO bundles payroll, HR, and compliance; self-funded and Taft-Hartley plans include concierge support |
| Plan Flexibility | Carrier sets deductibles and copay tiers | Employers can tailor cost-sharing, wellness perks, and ancillary benefits |
How BusinessInsurance Health Helps You Save on Group Health Insurance Plans
Business Insurance Health is not tied to a single carrier. Advisors evaluate your census, claims risk, and budget, then shop PEO, level-funded, and Taft-Hartley options side by side with traditional quotes. The goal is clear: secure nationwide network access at the lowest sustainable premium while simplifying HR tasks wherever possible. Clients often gain richer benefits and payroll support at a lower total cost than a standalone small-group plan.
Bigger Savings, Greater Flexibility: BusinessInsurance.Health Delivers Affordable Coverage
BusinessInsurance Health tailors health-plan solutions to the size, budget, and risk profile of each client. Whether you join a Blue-Cross PPO network Taft-Hartley trust for rate stability, tap a PEO for large-group buying power, or choose a level-funded plan that refunds unused dollars, you keep nationwide provider access while trimming overhead and paperwork. Most importantly, you gain control: contributions, deductibles, and wellness perks adjust to match your workforce rather than a carrier template.
Ready to see how much you can save? Schedule a free consultation with BusinessInsurance Health and compare your current Highmark quote to flexible alternatives that protect both your employees and your bottom line.
