Mid-size employers in Iowa and South Dakota

Frequently asked questions

To be eligible to purchase and maintain group health insurance, a group account must meet specific criteria established by applicable law and Wellmark. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Your business must be headquartered in Iowa or South Dakota as confirmed on the Secretary of State’s website. (Note: Sole proprietors, public entities and some types of partnerships do not appear on the Secretary of State’s website.)
• The account must be an entity that has the legal capacity to execute a contract on behalf of its employees.
• The account must be formed for reasons other than obtaining health coverage.
• An employer/employee relationship should exist, meaning eligible individuals comprising the account are bound together for reasons of financial gain. This includes for-profit corporations, professional corporations, non-profit corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, partnerships and sole proprietorships.
• The account must have at least one full-time, common-law employee (other than the sole proprietor owner/spouse or non-bona-fide partner/spouse) enrolling in coverage. Note: If a business is a sole proprietor, neither sole proprietor nor spouse are considered common-law employees even with a W-2.
• The account must be able to perform minimal administrative functions, such as paying premiums and maintaining group enrollment.
• Wellmark requires the group’s average number of employees to be employed on business days in the preceding calendar year.

Get started by downloading one of our plan comparison guides. You’ll learn more about our small business health plans, broad provider network and the extra benefits available with each plan.

View the Iowa plan comparison guide

View the South Dakota plan comparison guide