Group Benefits for Founding Teams, Not Big Enterprise HR
Somewhere between your first hire and your Series A, health benefits stop being optional. Founder Coverage builds group health, dental, and vision packages sized for a one-to-ten person founding team - without the enterprise HR overhead your seed-stage company doesn't have yet.
Coverage Options for Founding Teams
Group SHOP Health Insurance
Once you have at least one W-2 employee, small-group SHOP plans become available, with the employer contribution typically tax-deductible.
ICHRA for Small Teams
An Individual Coverage HRA lets you reimburse each employee for a plan they choose themselves - often a better fit than a traditional group plan for a team of one to ten with varied coverage needs.
QSEHRA for Very Small Teams
A Qualified Small Employer HRA is built for employers with no group plan and fewer than 50 employees, letting you reimburse premiums and medical costs up to an annual limit.
Group Dental and Vision
Add-on group dental and vision are inexpensive per employee and are frequently the deciding factor for a candidate weighing your offer against a larger company's.
Section 125 Cafeteria Plan
Lets employees pay their share of premiums pre-tax, reducing both their taxable income and your payroll tax liability - easy to set up alongside a group plan.
Group SHOP vs. ICHRA vs. QSEHRA: Which Fits Your Team?
The right structure depends on your headcount, budget, and how much variation exists in what your team members need. Group SHOP works well once you have a handful of W-2 employees and want one plan for everyone. ICHRA gives each employee a defined contribution to shop the individual marketplace themselves - useful for distributed or early teams with different coverage needs. QSEHRA is built specifically for employers with no group plan and fewer than 50 employees. Your advisor will model the after-tax cost of each option against your current headcount and hiring plan.
Benefits as a Hiring Tool for Early-Stage Teams
In a competitive hiring market, candidates evaluating an early-stage offer weigh benefits alongside equity and salary. Offering health coverage - even a lean ICHRA or QSEHRA - signals stability and can be the difference in closing a candidate choosing between your offer and a larger company's.
Setting Up Benefits for Your Founding Team
- Consultation - your advisor learns your headcount, budget, and hiring plan
- Proposal - a comparison of group SHOP, ICHRA, and QSEHRA options sized to your team
- Enrollment - we handle paperwork and employee onboarding communication
- Ongoing support - help with new hires, life events, and renewals as you grow
Ready to see your options?
Answer a few quick questions and a licensed advisor will email your personalized plan options within one business hour. 100% free, no obligation.