Columbus employers: you may be overpaying $484–$885 per employee, every month

Based on 2026 plan-year data, the lowest-cost small group plan in Franklin County runs $810–$1,591 per employee per month depending on tier and age, while the equivalent lowest-cost individual-market plan runs $326–$743. That estimated $484–$885 monthly difference per employee is what an ICHRA strategy can potentially capture. Actual results vary by census and plan design.

Franklin County's ACA individual marketplace is unusually competitive relative to its small group market — one of the widest spreads of the 3,000+ US counties analyzed for 2026. This is county-specific market economics, not a lesser product: individual-market plans are ACA-compliant major medical coverage.

An Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA) lets you give each employee a fixed tax-free monthly allowance to buy their own ACA marketplace plan instead of buying one group policy. In counties like Franklin where individual plans cost far less than group plans, the same benefits budget goes much further. The tax treatment mirrors employer-sponsored insurance.

Illustratively: at the county's 2026 rate difference of $484–$885 per employee per month, a 75-employee company could see an estimated difference of $435,000–$797,000 per year, capped by what it currently contributes. This is an estimate from county-level market data, not a quote — actual results depend on your employee census, ages, family composition, plan design, and contribution strategy.

We run your actual employee census against real 2026 Franklin County rates on both markets and show you the real number — free. If the math doesn't favor a switch for your company, we tell you exactly that and you keep your group plan. Roughly a third of the companies we analyze are better off staying put.