Building a 12-month health insurance budget for a Florida small business is straightforward when you separate the recurring premium line from the variable items: COBRA / mini-COBRA reserve, mid-year hire pro-ration, ancillary lines (dental, vision, life), and the renewal-increase contingency. This template covers the full annual budget framework so a business can plan accurately, avoid mid-year cash crunches, and build the right reserve for renewal season.
| Line Item | Annual Estimate (10 EE) | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Major medical premium (employer share) | $63,000 | $525/EE × 10 × 12 |
| Major medical premium (employee share) | $27,000 | $225/EE × 10 × 12 |
| Dental (employer-paid 100%) | $3,000 | $25/EE × 10 × 12 |
| Vision (voluntary, employee-paid) | $0 | — |
| Group term life $25K (employer-paid) | $600 | $5/EE × 10 × 12 |
| Section 125 admin | $240 | $2/EE × 10 × 12 |
| HRA / FSA admin (if applicable) | $720 | $6/EE × 10 × 12 |
| Renewal contingency reserve (8% of premium) | $5,040 | 8% × $63,000 |
| COBRA / mini-COBRA admin reserve | $300 | 2 separations × $150 admin each |
| Total annual budget (employer side) | $72,900 | — |
Shopping group health for your team
Build a hiring forecast into the budget. Each new full-time hire adds approximately:
Reserve a "headcount growth" line in the budget — for an 10-person company expecting 2 hires, add ~$10,000 of headroom.
Florida small group renewal increases for 2026 averaged 8-12%. Build at least 8% into your budget reserve. If your prior renewal exceeded that, lean toward 12-15%. Reserve options:
A licensed Florida broker can quote multiple carriers and build the budget framework with you.
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