It is not possible to combine with other companies to get better group rates, unless the companies are related to each other, such as companies with common ownership or companies that have a parent-subsidiary relationship. What some companies do to save money on their employees' Small Business is that they recommend medical reimbursement plans which allow their employees to choose any Individuals plan from any carrier that is cheaper than a regular group health plan. Through this, they save insurance cost and profits from lower ta dues for covering employees' health benefits. Other companies have increased the deductibles or reduced the amount of coverage on the Small Business plan for their employees.  This indeed saves the company money, but increases the cost to the employee. Some companies, however, provides a high deductible Small Business plan for their employees.  This indeed has a lot of savings for the company unless certain employees apply for a claim.  When this happens, the company is obliged to pay for all or part of the health insurance deductible. Offering an HSA (Health Savings Account) plan with a fied contribution for each employee is another way.  This can be a very effective way to save money, if most of your key employees are healthy.  The down side, though, is employees who are frequently ill will not be able to build up their accounts. — May 25, 2009 @ 11:45 am