Before you sign the renewal, run one comparison: what you'd pay for a high-deductible or catastrophic plan plus a $135-a-month doctor membership for each employee, versus the renewal in front of you. Most Long Island owners we talk to find the first option is 30% to 50% cheaper and their employees like it more, because a membership doctor sees them the same day and the deductible only matters if something serious happens. If a group plan is simply off the table this year, the membership alone is a benefit you can offer for $135 a month.
| Group health plan (US avg, 2025) | Upsurance membership | |
|---|---|---|
| Employer cost per employee, single | $657/mo | $135/mo doctor + $325/yr dentist |
| Before a visit counts | $2,631 deductible at small firms | $0, visits included |
| Getting in to see the doctor | Weeks for a new patient, 15-minute slot | Same or next day, text the doctor |
| Paperwork | Open enrollment, renewals, claims | One itemized invoice, cancel any month |
Insurance figures: KFF 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey (single premium $9,325/yr, worker pays $1,440; deductible for firms with 10–199 workers). Upsurance prices are the practice's own rate plus our administration fee at 1–9 employees, as of October 2026.
| Move | What changes | Cost per employee |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the plan, add DPC | Employees get a doctor they can actually use; the plan becomes hospital coverage | Renewal + $135/mo |
| Drop to HDHP, add DPC + dental | Lower premium; the membership replaces the copay visits they weren't getting anyway | HDHP premium + $135/mo + $325/yr |
| Memberships only | No insurance; a doctor and dentist for everyone | $135/mo + $325/yr |
Pick a max per employee for a doctor and a dentist. The page shows which local practices fit.
They choose their own doctor and dentist from that list. No network cards, no claims.
Itemized per person. You pay what each person actually picked. Start or stop any month.
Memberships, yes, any time. Your insurance plan has its own renewal date; the usual play is to add memberships now and change the plan at renewal.
Possibly. Brokers are paid on premiums. Ask them to quote the HDHP and you handle the membership side yourself; it takes eight minutes.
We give you a one-page employee guide. The short version: you now have a doctor who texts back and sees you today, and your insurance is for the big stuff.
The ACA employer mandate applies, so the memberships-only option isn't available to you. HDHP plus DPC usually is, and it's where the savings are at your size.