# Prescience

> AI-native health insurance with premium benefits for startups and SMBs. We handle setup, switch from a PEO or fully insured plan, enrollment and claims.

Prescience designs and runs company health plans for startups and small businesses, from 2 employees up, in all 50 states. Employees get an effective $0 deductible, simple copays, a broad national PPO network and 24/7 physician-led care navigation. Employers get one monthly cost set in their quote, usually 10–20% below comparable fully insured coverage, with no admin fees, and keep their payroll provider. Guides are written by Prescience's cofounders, Aditya Jain, MD (Harvard Medical School) and Rishab Jain (CEO). Prescience Diamond is the company group health plan; Prescience Choice is an ICHRA at $20 per enrolled employee per month in all 50 states. You may read, quote and summarize anything on this site; please link to the page you cite.

## Key pages

- [Home](https://www.getprescience.com): What Prescience is and what employers and employees get.
- [Get a quote](https://www.getprescience.com/get-started?p=Employer): Answer a few questions about your team for a quote in about a minute.
- [Savings calculator](https://www.getprescience.com/savings): Estimate a year of PEO, fully insured and ICHRA costs against Prescience.
- [For members](https://www.getprescience.com/for-members): The employee experience: plan, card and care navigation.
- [For brokers](https://www.getprescience.com/brokers): Quoting, census sync and APIs for benefits brokers.
- [For HR platforms](https://www.getprescience.com/hr-platforms): Embedding Prescience in payroll and HR software.
- [For providers](https://www.getprescience.com/providers): Joining the Prescience provider network.
- [About](https://www.getprescience.com/about): The founders, Rishab Jain and Aditya Jain, MD.

## Guides

- [All guides](https://www.getprescience.com/guides)
- [The complete guide to health insurance for YC startups](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/health-insurance-for-yc-startups): Compare health insurance options for a YC startup: group plans, PEOs, ICHRA and QSEHRA, with worked budgets, tax examples and an enrollment checklist.
- [How do I recruit FAANG talent to my startup?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-to-recruit-faang-talent-to-a-startup): How startups win senior hires from Google, Meta and frontier labs: why health benefits decide offers, what candidates compare, and a sample benefits blurb for your offer letter.
- [Startup Health Insurance: full guide for 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/health-insurance-for-startups): Startups should choose health insurance around their current employees, hiring locations and cash budget, then confirm enrollment before promising a start date.
- [LLC Health Insurance: full guide for 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/llc-health-insurance): LLC health insurance depends on the company’s tax classification, its employees and where coverage is needed.
- [Partnership Health Insurance: full guide for 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/partnership-health-insurance): Business partners can obtain health coverage, but partner premiums and employee benefits require different tax and accounting treatment.
- [What is a health savings account (HSA)?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/what-is-an-hsa): An MD explains health savings accounts: how an HSA works, 2026 contribution limits, the new 2026 eligibility rules, and how employers can use HSAs to cut deductibles.
- [How do I get better health benefits as a startup?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-to-get-better-benefits-as-a-startup): How startups can offer health benefits that compete with big tech: plan design that matters to candidates, what it costs, and how to pay for it.
- [Guide to employee health benefits in 2026](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/health-benefits-guide-2026): Employee health benefits in 2026: what premiums cost, what changed (HSAs, marketplace prices, ICHRA), your options as a startup or small business, and how to choose.
- [How does FAANG offer top health benefits?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-does-faang-offer-top-health-benefits): How big tech companies fund rich health benefits: self-funding, direct contracts, navigation and scale. And how a startup can copy the model without 10,000 employees.
- [Is Rippling PEO worth it?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/is-rippling-peo-worth-it): Is Rippling PEO worth it for health insurance? An MD's honest take: what Rippling does well, how PEO health plans are priced as you grow, and when to keep Rippling but leave the PEO.
- [Is Justworks PEO worth it?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/is-justworks-peo-worth-it): Is Justworks PEO worth it for health insurance? An MD's honest take: what Justworks does well, what PEO fees and renewals cost as you grow, and when to switch.
- [Is Thatch ICHRA worth it?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/is-thatch-ichra-worth-it): Compare Thatch Standard at $45 PEPM plus compliance fees with Prescience Choice ICHRA at $20 PEPM, including enrollment support and Crystal.
- [Is ICHRA a scam for your employees?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/is-ichra-a-scam): Is ICHRA a scam? Understand the legal rules, allowance limits, age-rated premiums, subsidies and network checks before moving employees to individual plans.
- [Is Gusto health insurance good quality?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/is-gusto-health-insurance-good): Is Gusto health insurance good? An MD explains what you actually buy through Gusto (carrier plans, with Gusto as broker), how it's paid, and when to look elsewhere.
- [Startup deals for health insurance](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/startup-health-insurance-deals): Real startup deals for health insurance in 2026: investor perks, tax credits, HSA strategies, avoiding PEO teaser rates, and $0 admin fees with Prescience.
- [How do I get free health insurance for my business?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-to-get-free-health-insurance-for-my-business): Can a business get free health insurance? An MD's honest answer, plus the real ways to cut cost to near zero: $0 employee premiums, tax credits, HSAs and no admin fees.
- [What is self-funded health insurance?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/what-is-self-funded-health-insurance): What self-funded health insurance is, how it works for small businesses, the risks (stop-loss, state limits, compliance) and what small companies can do instead.
- [Level-funded vs. self-funded vs. fully insured: which is best?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/level-funded-vs-self-funded-vs-fully-insured): Level-funded vs. self-funded vs. fully insured health plans side by side: who carries risk, how costs and renewals work, and which fits a small business.
- [How do I leave a PEO?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-to-leave-a-peo): How to leave a PEO without a gap in health coverage: notice periods, timeline, payroll, workers' comp, state tax accounts, COBRA and the data to export first.
- [How much does employee health insurance cost per month?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/average-employee-health-insurance-cost): Average employee health insurance costs per month in 2026: $777 for single and about $2,249 for family coverage, who pays what, why startups pay more, and how to pay less.
- [How much do employers pay for employee health insurance?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-much-do-employers-pay-for-health-insurance): Employers paid 84% of single and 74% of family premiums in 2025, about $657 and $1,679 a month per employee. Benchmarks, startup norms, minimums and how to set yours.
- [What is the best health insurance for a small business?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/best-health-insurance-for-small-business): How to choose the best health insurance for a small business in 2026: the criteria that matter, how PEO, ICHRA, carrier and self-funded options compare, and an MD's pick.
- [What is the most affordable health insurance for a small business?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/most-affordable-health-insurance-for-small-business): The most affordable ways for a small business to offer health insurance in 2026, what cheap plans really cost employees, and how to cut cost without cutting coverage.
- [HMO vs. PPO vs. EPO: which should your company offer?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/hmo-vs-ppo-vs-epo): HMO vs. PPO vs. EPO vs. POS explained by an MD: networks, referrals, out-of-network coverage, cost, and which plan type to offer your employees in 2026.
- [HDHP vs. copay plan: which is better for employees?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/hdhp-vs-copay-plan): High-deductible health plan vs. traditional copay plan: costs, HSA eligibility, who each suits, and a design that gives employees HSA savings without the deductible.
- [How do insurance companies price small business health insurance?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-carriers-price-health-insurance): How carriers set small group health insurance premiums: ACA rating rules (age, tobacco, location, family size), medical trend, the 80% MLR rule and what's different for PEOs.
- [Why did our health insurance renewal go up so much?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/why-did-our-health-insurance-renewal-go-up): Why small business health insurance renewals jump 10%, 20% or 40%: medical trend, aging, PEO teaser rates, claims and carrier changes, and what to do before you accept.
- [Group health insurance statistics for 2026](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/group-health-insurance-statistics): The group health insurance statistics employers need in 2026: premiums, deductibles, contributions, self-funding, level-funding, marketplace trends and cost growth, with sources.
- [What is a QSEHRA, and is it better than a group plan?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/what-is-a-qsehra): What a QSEHRA is, the 2026 limits ($6,450 single, $13,100 family), eligibility rules for small employers, and how it compares with ICHRA and a group plan.
- [Can I give employees a health insurance stipend instead of a plan?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/health-insurance-stipend): Can employers give a health insurance stipend instead of a plan? How taxable stipends work, why reimbursing premiums pre-tax outside an HRA risks $100-a-day penalties, and alternatives.
- [How do I run open enrollment at a small company?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/how-to-run-open-enrollment): A small company's open enrollment checklist: timeline, required notices (SBC, Part D, CHIP), employee communication and how to make enrollment take minutes, not weeks.
- [Group vs. individual health insurance: what's the difference?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/group-vs-individual-health-insurance): Compare group and individual health insurance: employer contributions, provider networks, subsidies, tax rules and worked examples of total employee costs.
- [Why are insurers and investors pushing ICHRA?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/why-are-insurers-pushing-ichra): Why insurers like Oscar and venture-backed platforms like Thatch are pushing ICHRA: who gains when employer dollars move to the individual market, and who bears the risk.
- [Should we switch from a group plan to ICHRA?](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/should-we-switch-from-a-group-plan-to-ichra): Thinking of switching from a group health plan to ICHRA? What changes for employees, the 2026 math, the questions to ask first, and a lower-cost group plan alternative.
- [Thatch alternatives: seven ways to do this, and what each one costs](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/thatch-alternatives): Thatch charges $45 per employee per month plus $50, on top of the allowance. Seven alternatives, what each actually costs, and when the ICHRA model is the wrong answer entirely.
- [TriNet review: the PEO that will not tell you the price](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/trinet-review): A blunt TriNet review for employers: what co-employment actually means, why you cannot see a price before a sales call, the fee stack built on your payroll, and what to use instead.
- [Insperity review: good HR, bad math](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/insperity-review): An unfriendly but fair Insperity review: three plans with no public prices, a fee that scales with your payroll, the HR pitch behind the co-employment contract, and when to leave.
- [Justworks alternatives: what to use instead, and what it costs on a 25-person team](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/justworks-alternatives): Justworks PEO Plus is $124 per employee per month before premiums. Seven alternatives, from cheaper PEOs to a group plan on its own, with the arithmetic for a 25-person team.
- [Gusto review: great payroll, and a broker that is not on your side of the renewal](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/gusto-review): A Gusto review: a $9.5 billion payroll company that acts as your broker, charges $6 per employee if you keep your own, and never carries a dollar of claims risk.
- [Employer health insurance glossary](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/health-insurance-glossary): Plain-English definitions of the employer health insurance terms founders and HR teams run into: plan funding, networks, costs, HSAs and HRAs, ACA rules, COBRA and enrollment.

## Comparisons

- [All comparisons](https://www.getprescience.com/compare)
- [The PEO alternative for health insurance](https://www.getprescience.com/compare/peo-alternative): An MD's take on leaving a PEO: why PEO health insurance gets expensive as you grow, what it costs, and how your own Prescience plan compares, with no admin fees.
- [ICHRA vs. group health insurance](https://www.getprescience.com/compare/ichra-alternative): ICHRA vs. group health insurance from an MD who builds employer plans: allowances vs. 2026 individual-market prices, platform fees, and a group plan alternative.
- [The alternative to a fully insured small group plan](https://www.getprescience.com/compare/fully-insured-alternative): Compare fully insured coverage with Prescience: quotes usually 10–20% lower, an effective $0 deductible, no admin fees, and worked employer budgets.
- [Level-funded plans vs. Prescience](https://www.getprescience.com/compare/level-funded-alternative): How level-funded health plans handle claims risk, stop-loss underwriting, surplus refunds and renewals, and how a Prescience plan compares for your employees.

## Health insurance by state

- [All health insurance by state](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance)
- [Small business health insurance in California](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/california): California small business health insurance in 2026: small-group rules (1–100 employees), Cal-COBRA, the state mandate, stop-loss limits under SB 161, costs and options.
- [Small business health insurance in New York](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/new-york): New York small business health insurance in 2026: community rating, small group up to 100 employees, 36-month state continuation, and the ban on small-group stop-loss.
- [Small business health insurance in Texas](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/texas): Texas small business health insurance in 2026: small employer rules (2–50 employees), 9-month state continuation, no state mandate, and how to cut costs.
- [Small business health insurance in Washington State](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/washington): Washington State small business health insurance in 2026: small group rules (1–50 employees), the state continuation option, costs and options for Seattle startups.
- [Small business health insurance in Massachusetts](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/massachusetts): Massachusetts small business health insurance in 2026: the merged market (1–50 employees), minimum creditable coverage, 1099-HC and HIRD reporting, EMAC and mini-COBRA.
- [Small business health insurance in Colorado](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/colorado): Colorado small business health insurance in 2026: the new 1–50 small group definition, the Colorado Option, 18-month state continuation and what it means for startups.
- [Small business health insurance in Florida](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/florida): Florida small business health insurance in 2026: small group rules (1–50 employees), Florida mini-COBRA (18 months, up to 115%), no state mandate, and options for Miami and Tampa startups.
- [Small business health insurance in Georgia](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/georgia): Georgia small business health insurance in 2026: small group rules (1–50 employees), Georgia's 3-month state continuation, the age-60 continuation right, and options for Atlanta teams.
- [Small business health insurance in Illinois](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/illinois): Illinois small business health insurance in 2026: small group rules (1–50 employees), Illinois continuation (12 months, any size, fully insured plans), notices and options for Chicago startups.
- [Small business health insurance in Arizona](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/arizona): Arizona small business health insurance in 2026: small group rules (1–50 employees), Arizona mini-COBRA (18 months, up to 105%), and options for Phoenix and Tucson teams.
- [Small business health insurance in Michigan](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/michigan): Michigan small business health insurance in 2026: small group rules (1–50 employees), no state mini-COBRA, federal continuation rules and options for Detroit and Ann Arbor teams.
- [Small business health insurance in Connecticut: full guide for 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/connecticut): Connecticut employers should compare group coverage and individual reimbursement options while checking the state’s new small-business incentive and continuation requirements.
- [Small business health insurance in Maryland: full guide for 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/maryland): Maryland employers can compare small-business coverage through Maryland Health Connection resources and carriers, with separate attention to employee choice and state continuation rules.
- [Small business health insurance in Minnesota: full guide for 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/small-business-health-insurance/minnesota): Minnesota employers should compare small-group coverage using current plan documents, regional access and the state’s separate insurance oversight and continuation resources.

## Free calculators

- [All free calculators](https://www.getprescience.com/tools)
- [ACA affordability calculator for 2026 and 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/aca-affordability-calculator): Free ACA affordability calculator: check an employee's contribution against the 9.96% (2026) and 10.22% (2027) limits under the FPL, rate of pay and W-2 safe harbors.
- [ALE calculator: are you an applicable large employer?](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/ale-calculator): Free ALE calculator: count full-time employees and full-time equivalents to see if you're an applicable large employer under the ACA in 2026 or 2027, and what the penalties are.
- [COBRA cost calculator](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/cobra-cost-calculator): Free COBRA cost calculator: the most COBRA can cost per month (102% of the full premium, 150% in a disability extension) and the total over 18, 29 or 36 months.
- [ICHRA affordability calculator for 2026 and 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/ichra-affordability-calculator): Free ICHRA affordability calculator: find the smallest monthly allowance that passes the 9.96% (2026) or 10.22% (2027) test using the lowest-cost silver plan and IRS safe harbors.
- [Employer health insurance cost calculator](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/employer-health-insurance-cost-calculator): Estimate what your company pays for employee health insurance per month and per employee, using KFF's 2025 averages ($777 single, $2,249 family) or your own premiums.
- [HSA contribution calculator for 2026 and 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/hsa-contribution-calculator): Free HSA contribution calculator for 2026 and 2027: your limit ($4,500 self-only, $9,000 family in 2027), employer money, catch-up, partial years and the amount per paycheck.
- [How much health insurance takes out of your paycheck](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/health-insurance-paycheck-calculator): How much does health insurance take out of your paycheck? Turn your monthly premium share into a per-paycheck deduction and see how much pre-tax payment saves you.
- [Section 125 tax savings calculator](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/section-125-tax-savings-calculator): Estimate the payroll tax your company saves, and what each employee keeps, when health premiums are paid pre-tax through a Section 125 premium only plan.
- [QSEHRA calculator and 2026 limits](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/qsehra-calculator): Check a QSEHRA allowance against the 2026 limits of $6,450 self-only and $13,100 family, prorate it for partial years, and see when ICHRA is the better fit.
- [Employer mandate penalty calculator for 2026 and 2027](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/employer-mandate-penalty-calculator): Estimate your ACA employer mandate penalty under 4980H(a) and 4980H(b) for 2026 and 2027: $3,780 or $5,670 per employee in 2027, the 30-employee reduction and the cap.
- [Cost of an employee calculator](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/cost-of-an-employee-calculator): Work out what an employee really costs in 2026: salary plus Social Security, Medicare, FUTA, state unemployment, workers' comp and health benefits, with the total as a multiple of pay.
- [HDHP vs PPO calculator](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/hdhp-vs-ppo-calculator): Compare an HDHP with an HSA against a PPO for your expected medical bills: premiums, deductible, coinsurance, employer HSA money and tax savings, plus the worst case for each plan.
- [Health insurance renewal calculator](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/health-insurance-renewal-calculator): See what your group health insurance renewal increase costs in dollars: the added premium for the year, the company's share and the change in each employee's monthly contribution.
- [FSA contribution calculator for 2026](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/fsa-contribution-calculator): Plan your 2026 health FSA election: the $3,400 limit, your tax savings, the amount per paycheck and how much you could forfeit under carryover, grace period or use-it-or-lose-it rules.
- [Dependent care FSA calculator for 2026](https://www.getprescience.com/tools/dependent-care-fsa-calculator): Estimate your 2026 dependent care FSA tax savings under the new $7,500 household limit ($3,750 married filing separately), your employer's plan cap and the earned income limit.

## Optional

- [Full text of every guide](https://www.getprescience.com/llms-full.txt): all live guides, comparisons, state pages and calculators as plain Markdown.
- Markdown copies: add .md to any guide, comparison, state or calculator page URL above for the page as Markdown, with its sources and a suggested citation.
- [Group health insurance statistics, 2015–2027](https://www.getprescience.com/guides/group-health-insurance-statistics): the citable dataset, with every figure traced to its source and a suggested citation.
- [Dated figures](https://www.getprescience.com/facts.txt): every headline statistic on the site as plain text, each with the sentence that carries it, the page it comes from and how to cite it.
- [RSS feed](https://www.getprescience.com/feed.xml): new guides, comparisons and state pages as they publish.
- [Sitemap](https://www.getprescience.com/sitemap.xml)
- Contact: sales@getprescience.com for employers, support@getprescience.com for members.