New Britain ROOTS, a small nonprofit in Connecticut, was up against a common problem that many small businesses face when it comes to affordable health insurance. With a small team and limited funding, how could they afford benefits to take care of their staff?
QSEHRA Review for Non-Profits
Executive Director Joey Listro chatted with us about his experience with QSEHRA. Spoiler alert: he's a fan.
There's nothing better than hearing from happy customers, and we really appreciate Joey discussing the details!
What is New Britain ROOTS?
New Britain ROOTS works with local farmers to promote food security and empowered eating choices through advocacy and education. Working with the WICK and SNAP programs to make healthy food more affordable, they help with local school gardens and educate students on how to grow their own fruit and vegetables.
"We're a growing company in our third year, with only one part time seasonal employee and one full time year-round employee (me)," shares Joey. "We are working to expand and hope to hire one more employee by the end of the year, which is another key factor in getting our ducks in a row for competitive benefits."
Why he opted for QSEHRA
"When we first got started, we were working without any health benefits," adds Joey. To position the non-profit for growth and to make his marketplace health insurance plan more affordable, Joey knew he had to find a better solution. A group insurance plan for only one employee simply wasn’t cost effective. He began googling different options on how to get reimbursed through the business for his insurance, pulling up multiple articles on changes in rules and regulations. And there it was: QSEHRA.
With only one full-time staff member, the only other option was starting an employer plan, which was five times more expensive," shared Joey.
Is this even legal?
His initial challenge was in getting the information together in a way that would accurately describe the benefits of QSEHRA to his board of directors to get them on the same page as he was. No one on the board had heard of QSEHRA before and they weren't entirely sure it was legal!
“As a non-profit, our board of directors had to approve the QSEHRA," shares Joey. "Take Command helped educate me on the subject and sent over helpful information for me to share with the board.”
After the board approved the funding, Joey spent another couple of weeks in close communication with Take Command getting everything set up.
The website was really easy to use and when I used the chat feature, the same person helped me the entire time.
With the QSEHRA up and running this past January, the nonprofit is currently reimbursing premiums only.
"The setup was quick and simple, and reporting and reimbursements are easy as well," adds Joey.
