The high costs of Health Care have many employers closing shop or laying off employees to reduce expenses.  In many US businesses, benefits account for up to 45% of employee total compensation packages.  This is outrageous but true.  Self-employed entrepreneurs are finding it almost impossible to get affordable health care because they cannot join a Group Plan.  At a minimum, your Net Branch Provider should provide affordable Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Prescriptions, and Retirement/401k benefits to all of your staff. 

Your Net Branch Provider should offer individual, limited family, and family plans with low monthly premiums and annual deductibles. Your Net Branch Provider should get Group Rates that are standard for all employees regardless of health history.  Premiums should be paid by the Net Branch Provider BEFORE TAXES.  Co-pays will likely be required on office visits, prescriptions, hospital stays, and emergency rooms.  The ranges of what you should expect to pay in monthly Health Care premiums are:

Below is a breakdown of the different Health Care components, coverages, and average costs:

Medical:   

• Office Visit Co-pay: $10 - $50
• Hospital Visit Co-pay: $0 - $2,500
• Preventative Annual Coverage: $100 - $300
• Prescriptions
  • $10 generic
  • $25 name brand
  • $50 non-preferred

*A basic life insurance policy should also be included in your benefits

Dental: 

• Preventative services (e.g., cleaning, oral exams, x-rays):  80-100%
• Basic services (e.g., fillings, endodontics, oral surgery): 50-100%
• Major services (e.g., crowns, inlays, outlays): 25-100%
• Orthodontics (e.g., braces): 10-80%
• Annual maximum: Not to exceed $3,000

 Vision:

• Eye Exam Co-pay: $25 - $50
• Glasses/Contacts purchases covered to: $200

 401(k) Program:

• You should be able to contribute up to $13,000 per year of pre-tax dollars
• A well-known and respected firm should manage the plan 
• Investment options should include eight or more mutual funds
• Employees should be able to self direct their funds into any combination of the mutual fund options