Choose A Plan
When thinking about health insurance, answer these questions:

How much do I earn each year? How much do my employees earn each year? How much can I afford to pay each month? How much can my employees afford to pay each month? How healthy am I? How healthy are my employees? What types of health services do I use? What types of health services do my employees use? MicroCredit-NH strongly recommends that you learn about health insurance. Health insurance, particularly for small businesses (including the self-employed), is very complex. Use a licensed agent or broker (called “producers” in NH) to help you get the health insurance that best meets your needs and is within your budget.

If you are a small business owner with up to 50 employees, you can buy small employer health insurance. If you will be buying health insurance for you and your employees, think about the employees’ needs and their ability to pay. If you are not going to buy health insurance for your employees, you can buy individual health insurance only for yourself and/or your family (but not through the business).

If you are a self-employed individual, you can choose health insurance that best meets the needs of you and your family. In New Hampshire, a person who is self-employed is considered a small employer, group of 1, and can buy small employer health insurance (group). You can also purchase individual health insurance. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages.

Individual Health Insurance	Small Employer Group Health Insurance
Advantages
Carrier must offer you health insurance (guaranteed issue, see HIPAA)	Carrier must offer you health insurance (guaranteed issue, NH RSA 420-G)
Can use riders to decrease cost (guaranteed renewal)	Carrier must renew except in certain cases, eg, nonpayment of premium
Can purchase anytime	Annual rate increase is capped
Can choose the plan that is best for you	Limited rating factors COBRA/NH Continuation/HIPAA
	Often less expensive than individual health insurance
Individual Health Insurance	Small Employer Group Health Insurance
Disadvantages
Can be denied health insurance (limited guaranteed issue)	Includes all state mandates, may cost more
No rate caps	Self-employed individuals (group of 1) can only apply in March and September. Carriers can offer health insurance at other times, if they choose to do so, or the self-employed individual can request a special open enrollment period from the carrier.)
Carrier can choose not to renew coverage