Small-businesses will have the chance to offer employees state-subsidized health insurance, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced Tuesday.
The Health Insurance Partnership will offer a state subsidy of up to 50 percent of insurance premiums to firms with two to nine full-time employees and an average wage below $50,000.
Firms applying for the subsidy must not have offered health insurance to employees in the last 12 months.
“Small businesses are the engine of Maryland’s economy, and in many cases, the cost of health insurance is out of reach for many of these employers,” O’Malley said in a statement.
The partnership is a joint effort by the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Maryland Health Care Commission, and participating insurance carriers and employers.
Enrollment began Tuesday, and coverage for companies accepted into the program will begin Oct. 1.
“In July, we began providing access to quality health care services to eligible parents of children,” John Colmers, secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said in a statement. “Now, Maryland’s small businesses are able to join this expansion effort.”
For more information, view the “Working Families and Small Business Coverage Act” link at dhmh.state.md.us.
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