Group health coverage for self-employed and small business owners
Better coverage. Lower cost. The same money you already make.
You are paying retail for a plan that fights your claims and gets pricier every year. Group rates through a national carrier pool cost less, cover more, and your price stops depending on your income.
See your number30 seconds. No email required to see your estimate.
Built for the owner everyone else turns away.
Most group coverage is built for companies with fifty or more on payroll. The single-owner business gets quoted retail, or gets told to come back when it has a team. USA OPS is built the other way around. If you run a profitable business of one, or a small team up to about twenty-five, and you are carrying your own coverage, you are who this is for.
- You net $90,000 or more after expenses.
- You pay $500 or more a month for coverage today.
- You want to keep earning more, not manage your income down to qualify for a subsidy.
If a larger company already runs your benefits, or you are happy in a PEO and shopping price, this is not built for you. We will say so.
The math turned against you in 2026.
The credits that capped marketplace premiums at a share of your income expired. The old cliff came back. Cross a fixed income line by a single dollar and you lose every subsidy at once, then pay full retail for a plan with a narrowing network. Premiums for 2026 rose into the low to mid twenties percent, the steepest in years. For many owners that is $10,000 to $15,000 a year, sometimes more, paid with after-tax dollars. And the plan still fights you on claims when you need it.
Some owners are leaving high-cost states for relief. Others cannot leave, and are stuck choosing between an expensive HMO and a cheap plan that covers almost nothing. Both land on the same answer.
A $24,000 premium is not a $24,000 problem. You have to earn closer to $33,000 before tax to keep $24,000 after it. You are taxed on every dollar before it ever reaches the premium.
Inside the structure, this is what changes.
Three things combine. The IRS recognizes co-employment as a legal structure. A national carrier pool sets one composite rate, so your age and your income stop setting your price. And the premium comes out pre-tax instead of after-tax. Remove any one of the three and the savings break. Together they move you from buying retail as an individual to buying as part of a large group, on better terms, with dollars that have not been taxed yet.
Now
An after-tax dollar, priced against you, exposed to the cliff. Your age and income set the price.
Inside the structure
A pre-tax dollar at one group rate. Income irrelevant. You buy as part of a large pool.
Your CPA keeps your corporate return and sets your wage. Nothing about how you run the business changes.
See your own numbers. About 30 seconds.
Toggle solo or small team. Enter your net income, your structure, and what you pay now. The estimate runs in your browser. Nothing is stored until you choose to go further.
Federal estimate. State taxes vary. Typical numbers, not guaranteed. Above the Social Security wage base (roughly $176K to $184K net depending on the year), the largest part of self-employment tax caps out and the gap narrows. We will not pretend otherwise.
Everything the big PEOs charge a fortune for. Included.
This is the part ADP and TriNet lead with and bill heavily for. With USA OPS it comes with the structure, at a flat rate, and it is not the reason you came.
For the solo owner
- Group coverage at composite rates. Age stops driving the price.
- A national PPO network instead of a narrow local HMO.
- Retirement contributions far above an IRA ceiling, your plan or ours.
- Dental and vision at group rates.
- Workers' comp, pay-as-you-go, no upfront deposit.
- Payroll, quarterly filings, W-2s, and state filings handled under the PEO's tax ID.
For a small team, everything above plus
- Extend the same group coverage to your people. You set the employer contribution.
- Rate protection through the pool.
- Employment-practices coverage included.
- One point of contact who owns your account, not a phone tree.
- Multi-state payroll under one roof.
Yes, even a business of one. Here is the one step that makes it work.
Most PEOs will not take a single-owner business, because a sole proprietor cannot sit inside the structure as written. The fix is one filing your CPA handles in an afternoon: elect to be taxed as an S-corporation and pay yourself a W-2 wage. That single change makes the whole structure available to you. It is the step every other PEO will not bother to walk you through. We do, before you commit, in plain terms.
Your CPA sets the wage. We process it. You keep control of the business.
Four things to check before you sign with anyone.
| Watch for | How USA OPS works |
|---|---|
| A PEO that dictates your wage | Your CPA sets it. We process it. |
| A phone tree and service tickets | One contact who owns your account. |
| Software you cannot leave | Standard platform. Portable. No trap. |
| A cheap-coverage pitch with no structure behind it | All three pillars together, or it does not hold. |
If a PEO will not answer these four straight, walk away.
National PPO group plans. One composite rate.
Rates come from a large pool of covered lives, so your age does not set your price. Three plans, full coverage detail and the official summary for each. Group coverage is delivered through tier-1 national carriers via NAPEO-member, ESAC-accredited PEO partners.
Plan A
Low deductible. Representative figures for deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and copays shown on the full plan detail.
Most chosen
Plan B
Balanced. The most chosen plan. Representative figures for deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and copays shown on the full plan detail.
Plan C
HSA-qualified. Representative figures for deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and copays shown on the full plan detail.
Employee-only composite rate shown. Actual rates vary by group size, location, and demographics. In-network terms shown. See the summary for full terms and exclusions.
When this does not work.
Below $90,000 net or under $500 a month in coverage, the structure usually does not move the needle, and we will tell you that. Above the Social Security wage base (roughly $176K to $184K net depending on the year), the largest part of self-employment tax caps out and the gap narrows. The calculator will show you where you stand. So will we.
See your exact 2026 numbers.
About 90 seconds, in a secure overlay.
- Nothing stored until you submit.
- No sales call required to see your results.
- You decide what happens next.
Or: contact us, book a meeting, apply for coverage, or become a partner.
Most owners shop for relief at open enrollment. Get your number now, and we will be here when your window opens.
Eligibility depends on your entity, ownership structure, state, and specific facts. General information only. Not tax or legal advice. Consult your CPA or attorney. Typical results, not guaranteed.
USA OPS is an independent referral partner. We do not underwrite, enroll, or sell coverage. The PEO provides group coverage and handles underwriting and enrollment. We do not earn percentage-based commissions on payroll.
Calculator results are generated in your browser. No financial data is stored or shared until you submit an application.