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In the same way as other companies in the private sector, VSEs are now obliged to take out professional health insurance. Since January 2016, they must provide their employees with complementary collective health insurance. As insurance companies become increasingly numerous, comparing the essential points of the offers available is necessary. So, what are the criteria for choosing the best mutual insurance company for your small business?
What is a small business mutual fund?
There is no special mutual insurance for these tiny structures, but general offers are designed for private companies. All VSEs must then subscribe to mutual insurance, which plays the role of individual health insurance. It covers costs not reimbursed by Social Security, such as visits to specialist doctors, hospitalization, and dental treatments.
Mutual insurance is essential since small business employees do not benefit from total coverage. Support is limited, and the rest is quite expensive. To improve the working conditions of employees, the ANI of 2016 forces entrepreneurs to subscribe to collective mutual insurance. This approach is part of the policy of access to care for all!
A mutual fund for small businesses is subject to specific conditions, such as payment of half of the contributions by the business manager and a minimum healthcare basket. However, the possibilities are numerous since, to the basic guarantees, you can add options giving access to more complete coverage.
Mandatory minimum guarantees
If employers choose their insurance company freely, saying the same about basic guarantees would be challenging. The minimum care basket contains the mandatory services. Before subscribing to company mutual insurance, you must check the guarantees included in the contract, namely:
- complete coverage of user fees;
- payment of daily hospital fees;
- coverage of optical costs every two years minimum;
- Reimbursement of dental care up to 125% of the BRSS.
There are several insurance plans offered to employees. However, the employer can only choose the additional guarantees. The introductory offers must appear in the contract. The levels of coverage offered in a company depend on the position occupied (managerial or non-managerial).
The “solidarity and responsible contract” of complementary health insurance
Specialists in insurance solutions for businesses offer solidarity and responsible contracts. The employer uses all means to find mutual insurance offers consistent with this ideology. A joint and responsible contract offers a basket for primary care and advantages such as the absence of a medical questionnaire at the subscription time. It does not require any selection based on employees’ health status or age. However, overruns are limited to a previously defined ceiling.
Additional guarantees for professionals
Optional guarantees increase the level of coverage of company mutual insurance. The employer compares the offers on the mutual insurance market to verify that these optional reinforcements exist. Regardless of their contract, employees must retain the right and freedom to add options for greater security. They often choose to include guarantees linked to the reimbursement of optical and dental care costs. Alternative medicines are also part of the optional reinforcements. In addition, the employer chooses the services that accompany the mutual offer, such as:
- employee information;
- the third-party payment formula;
- prevention ;
- an online support service.
The amount of contributions
The employer covers 50% of the contributions and, in return, obtains attractive tax advantages. The remaining half is deducted directly from the salary. The amount of contributions is a decisive criterion when choosing a mutual insurance company: this makes it possible to evaluate the quality/price ratio of the insurance offer. The company can cover 60, 70, or 80% of the contributions or the whole thing.
The conditions mentioned in the company’s collective agreement
The conditions of the complementary health insurance are subject to negotiation. Social partners and unions have all the prerogatives to intervene with insurance companies, provided that the company’s collective agreement mentions the decisions taken. Thus, the employer must ensure that industry agreements are indeed respected.
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The terms of the contract
The last criterion to respect is the conditions indicated in the contract. Certain restrictions may be objectionable, namely:
- the waiting period;
- the reimbursement system;
- warranty exclusions;
- the conditions for terminating the contract.
It is not a question of choosing an offer combining all the advantages of a company’s mutual insurance but of finding one that perfectly meets your needs. More concretely, the waiting period determines the comparison element if the employer chooses a contract with immediate coverage.
The best way to find professional mutual insurance with optimal coverage for employees is to compare the key elements of each offer. Establishing a “specification” of the points to be compared is necessary. These parameters are essential to obtain preferential prices. The employer can choose one of these three solutions to obtain quotes:
- negotiate alone with insurance companies;
- hire an independent broker;
- use an online comparator.
The third option is the most practical while promising better results. Online comparators are free and require no commitment from their users. They create tailor-made mutual insurance quotes for small businesses based on the needs expressed by the employer.
