Health insurance provided by your employer is pricey enough that picking one based solely on name recognition can be penny wise and pound foolish.
The true decision comes down to how you want to purchase and administer your plan. Do you want an experienced broker to compare carriers and assist you through renewals? Or do you want your health insurance tied directly into your payroll and HR software?
If you are an employer who prefers a broker-led model with extensive employee benefits insurance backing, Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency is the overall favorite from this review.
Granted, Gusto makes sense for one type of employer. ADP makes sense for another. And eHealth makes sense for yet another.
In This Guide
- How to choose a group health insurance provider
- Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency
- Gusto
- ADP
- eHealth
- Quick comparison
- Final verdict
How to Choose a Group Health Insurance Provider
Start with the operating model, not the quote.
KFF’s 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey found that average annual family premiums for employer-sponsored coverage reached $26,993. When that much money is on the line, the provider relationship matters long after enrollment.
A useful shortlist should answer four questions:
- Who should compare the market? Decide if you want an independent broker, a marketplace or a payroll/HR tied platform.
- Who manages the admin? Think beyond plan selection into enrollment, employee life changes, renewals and carrier inquiries.
- How comprehensive is the benefits package? Medical benefits may be paired with dental, vision, life, disability, retirement or other benefits.
- What compliance support is offered? Administration and plan information is included because, as the U.S. Department of Labor points out, most private-sector group health plans are subject to ERISA.
Location also makes a difference for small groups. States can have different rules and rating factors. For instance, the California Department of Insurance states: “[T]he small-group rate can vary based on factors like your employees’ ages, the benefits you choose, whether employees have dependents, and your location and provider network.”
For that reason a provider should be evaluated on the entire purchase and administration process, rather than on an isolated headline premium.
1. Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency: Best Overall for Broker-Led Benefits
Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency has specialized in group health insurance and employee benefit plans since 1987. They are traditional in the best way possible: businesses partner with an independent brokerage instead of being forced through a cookie cutter, self-service plan picker.
The agency claims to partner with employers of all sizes and administers benefits outside of medical coverage such as dental, vision, life, disability and retirement-eligible benefits.
Ability to compare plans along with ongoing benefits support.
For example, when an employer is looking at a renewal, reviewing current coverage, shopping carrier options and evaluating the overall benefits package can all happen simultaneously. This is particularly helpful when trying to meet employees’ needs while also staying within budget, instead of just finding the lowest premium.
What does that look like in practice?
An expanding organization with employees in multiple positions may desire enhanced medical benefits for retention as well as adding dental, vision or disability benefits. Taylor Benefits can treat that as one benefits plan instead of multiple disparate purchases.
Its website also details year-round plan administration, renewal shopping and compliance updates as part of their service. If you’re an employer that desires the right employee health coverage with a human broker before and after enrollment, please begin here.
Best for: Companies that want a personalized plan comparison experience, a wide selection of benefits and the broker relationship.
2. Gusto: Best for Payroll-Integrated Small Business Benefits
Gusto is software-first. Health benefits tools are built on the same platform small businesses use to manage payroll and HR.
That integration is the appeal.
Gusto says its advisors are licensed to suggest group health plans that fit with budget and coverage needs. Medical, dental and vision deductions are synced with payroll. Employers have the option to port in an existing plan as well.
If your small business is already processing payroll through Gusto, fewer handoffs can mean tangibly easier benefits administration.
The trade-off is fit. Gusto makes the most sense when your employer really wants insurance administration as part of a wider HR/payroll platform. If you’re looking for a more traditional broker relationship, you might consider a specialist brokerage.
Best suited to: small businesses looking for health benefits that also offer payroll deductions and employee administration.
3. ADP: Best for Larger HR and Payroll Ecosystems
While ADP offers group health insurance assistance, they provide much more than that. They offer an entire payroll and human capital management suite of services.
ADP can access medical, dental and vision coverage through its insurance agency affiliate. ADP offers enrollment support, along with employee change and renewal support. ADP’s benefits administration tools also sync carrier data with payroll.
Why does that matter?
If you’re an existing employer with a robust HR department, your challenge may not be identifying one plan – it may be maintaining enrollment/deductions/records and employee lifecycle changes across plans.
ADP stands out when benefits administration is one part of a larger workforce-management stack.
The platform may be more extensive than what a micro-business needs. However, the extensive platform will benefit companies who are already invested in ADP payroll services or HR solutions.
Best suited to: growing and midsized employers who want group health coverage linked with a more comprehensive HR and payroll platform.
4. eHealth: Best for Online Small Business Plan Shopping
eHealth is the far-and-away leader in terms of being shopping oriented. Employers can comparison shop for small-business health plans online or through licensed agents.
The platform’s small business product currently consists of traditional group plans, level funded as well as ICHRA, along with supplemental benefits like dental, vision and life insurance.
The main advantage is choice presented through an online comparison process.
A broker model might also work for a small employer that wants to review available plans before taking a more engaged broker relationship. eHealth also notes its staff can help with enrollment, billing and questions with carriers after plans are selected.
The main difference is service methodology. Taylor Benefits focuses on an ongoing brokerage relationship. eHealth uses more of a self-directed online marketplace approach.
Best suited to: small employers that wish to compare plan types online and still have access to licensed-agent support.
Quick Comparison
| Provider | Best for | Buying model | Benefits scope |
| Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency | Broker customization | Independent Brokerage | Medical and broader employee benefits |
| Gusto | Simplified small business | Payroll and HR software as a service | Health benefits |
| ADP | Combined HR operations | Human Capital Management, payroll and benefits | Group health and extended benefits administration |
| eHealth | Direct Plans | Kisspite | Meridica |
Final Verdict
Employer needs vary, so different operating models suit different situations.
Gusto is a good fit if payroll integration is your primary goal. ADP if you need benefits housed inside of a larger HR system. eHealth if you want employers to have an online plan shopping experience.
If you desire a broker who will price-compare coverage for you, help design a comprehensive benefits package and stay on top of claims through continued administration, then Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency is the clear frontrunner out of the four companies reviewed.
The broker-led model keeps decisions tethered to both sides of the equation: Employee needs and what your business can viably offer.
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