Group Benefits That Fit the Size of Your Team
Small Business Health Insurance in Texas
You want to offer your employees health coverage that attracts good people and keeps them. Mangrum Agency works with small employers across the DFW area — most often in the 15–25 employee range — who need group health plans built around a small business budget, not a corporate one.
Protect Your Home With Confidence
The Question Every Texas Small Business Owner Asks First: Are We Required to Offer This?
Texas businesses with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees are not required to offer health insurance under federal law. That's the straightforward answer to the legal question.
The more useful question for most small employers is what offering coverage actually does for the business. Health insurance is consistently ranked as the most valued employee benefit. For employers competing with larger companies for the same candidates, a group health plan is often the most direct way to close that gap — and for qualifying small businesses, part of the cost may come back as a federal tax credit.
Employers with fewer than 25 full-time employees and average wages below a set federal threshold may be eligible for
small business health care tax credits covering up to 50% of premium costs. We identify eligibility during the consultation and factor it into the full cost picture.
Who We Work With — and Why Size Matters
Most insurance brokers focus on corporate accounts. Small businesses — those with fewer than 25 or 50 employees — often feel like an afterthought in those relationships: underserved on service and overcharged for plans designed for a different scale of operation.
Mangrum Agency built its group health practice around small employers specifically. We work most often with Texas businesses in the 15–25 employee range, though we've helped teams as small as 5 and as large as 50. That's the size where the right plan structure makes the biggest difference, and where the wrong one costs the most.
The same independent, multi-carrier approach we apply to Medicare and individual health coverage applies here: every plan recommendation is based on which carrier and structure fit the employer's headcount, budget, and workforce — not on what's easiest to write
Plan Structures Worth Knowing Before Your First Conversation
Small business health insurance in Texas is not one-size-fits-all. There are three primary structures we evaluate for employers in the 1–50 employee range, and the right one depends on headcount, cash flow preferences, and workforce demographics.
Fully Insured Group Plans
The traditional structure: the employer pays a fixed monthly premium to a carrier, and the carrier covers claims. Premiums are predictable, administration is straightforward, and most DFW-area carriers offer plans designed specifically for small employers. For businesses that want simplicity and cost predictability, fully insured plans are often the right starting point.
Level-Funded Plans
Level-funded plans sit between traditional fully insured coverage and self-insured arrangements. The employer pays a set monthly amount covering claims, administration, and stop-loss insurance. If claims come in under the funded level, a portion of the unused funds may be returned at year-end. For employers with a healthier workforce, level-funded plans can reduce total annual cost compared to traditional premiums.
HRA Arrangements — ICHRA and QSEHRA
Health Reimbursement Arrangements allow employers to reimburse employees for individual health insurance premiums and, in some cases, qualified medical expenses — rather than administering a group plan directly. ICHRA (Individual Coverage HRA) and QSEHRA (Qualified Small Employer HRA) are federally recognized arrangements that give small employers a defined-contribution alternative to traditional group coverage. These work particularly well for employers with fewer than 10–15 employees or widely varying workforce needs.
We explain all three structures in plain terms during the consultation and identify which one fits before any carrier comparison begins.
What We Handle So You Don't Have To
Setting up a group health plan involves carrier selection, plan comparison, employee enrollment coordination, and annual renewals. For a business owner without an HR department, that's a significant administrative lift on top of running the business.
Mangrum Agency manages the full setup process at no additional cost to the employer. The timeline from first consultation to active coverage is typically straightforward, and our role doesn't end at enrollment. We handle annual renewals, field employee questions, and are available by phone or Zoom when something changes — whether that's a new hire, a departure, or a carrier-side adjustment at renewal time.
We serve small business clients across
Mesquite,
Dallas,
Fort Worth,
McKinney, and
Denton, and across five additional licensed states, all by phone or Zoom.
Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
What Texas Small Business Owners Ask Before Getting Started
How do I offer health insurance to my small business employees in Texas?
The process starts with a consultation to review your headcount, budget, and what you want coverage to accomplish. From there, we identify the plan structure that fits — fully insured, level-funded, or an HRA arrangement — and compare carriers. Once you select a plan, we manage employee enrollment and handle the setup with the carrier. Most employers are active and covered within a few weeks of the initial decision.
Is small business health insurance in Texas affordable for under 25 employees?
It depends on the plan structure and the workforce profile. Fully insured group plans are available in the DFW market at premiums designed for small employer budgets. Level-funded plans can reduce costs further for employers with healthier workforces. And qualifying employers with fewer than 25 employees may be eligible for federal tax credits that offset up to 50% of what the employer pays in premiums. We calculate the net cost after any credits as part of every consultation.
Are small businesses in Texas required to offer health insurance?
Businesses with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees are not required to offer health insurance under federal law. The decision is voluntary — but for employers who want to attract and retain employees in a competitive DFW labor market, offering coverage has a measurable impact on both recruitment and retention.
What's the difference between a fully insured plan and a level-funded plan for small businesses?
A fully insured plan has a fixed monthly premium — your cost is predictable regardless of how many claims your employees generate that year. A level-funded plan has a set monthly contribution that covers claims, administration, and stop-loss insurance, with a possible year-end refund if claims come in under the funded amount. Level-funded plans carry slightly more variability but can cost less overall for employers with a younger or healthier workforce. We compare both structures based on your specific situation.
Can I offer health benefits if I only have a few employees?
Yes. Depending on the structure, coverage is available for employers with as few as one employee. HRA arrangements — including ICHRA and QSEHRA — are specifically designed for very small employers and give business owners a defined-contribution alternative to traditional group plans. We walk through what's available at your headcount and budget during the consultation.
What does Mangrum Agency charge to set up and manage a group health plan?
There is no direct charge to the employer. We're compensated by the carriers when a plan is placed, which means the consultation, the plan comparison, the enrollment coordination, and the ongoing annual service are all provided at no additional cost to your business.
Mangrum Agency LLC is an independent insurance agency based in Mesquite, TX, serving DFW-area small businesses with group health insurance solutions since 1990. Fred Mangrum holds active licenses in Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana and carries contracts with multiple carriers offering small group health coverage in the Texas market. Charlotte Mangrum is a licensed co-agent serving the same client base. All consultations are conducted by phone or Zoom. Learn more about the agency on the About Us page.
Ready to Talk Through What Group Coverage Would Actually Cost?
A 30-minute call covers your headcount, your budget, and which plan structure is worth exploring. You'll leave with a clear picture of what your options are — and what they cost — before anything is decided.
