As Texas and the U.S. continue to navigate the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, Decent, a start-up already disrupting the health insurance industry with affordable benefit plans, is launching a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to better support small businesses.
Of the 458 PEOs in the U.S, Decent is the only one that is owned and operated by a TPA that designs and manages the health insurance plans that Decent offers. Basically, Decent cuts out the middleman to create more affordability for small businesses.
Today – particularly as COVID-19 cases fluctuate – small businesses and entrepreneurs are struggling with rising benefits costs such as payroll management and healthcare coverage. Related to health insurance, in 2020, premiums averaged $7,470 for single coverage and $21,342 for families, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Rates are expected to continue to rise, with small group rates estimated to increase by more than 10 percent in 2022 versus the prior year.
Decent is different. They have not raised rates on the health plans offered at any time over the last three years. They also feature unlimited free primary care, $0 medical deductibles, and robust network of providers.
“More affordable payroll and health insurance can safeguard small businesses. Decent TPA has already changed health insurance, now we’re working to help employers even more by protecting them against unsustainable benefit costs.”
Nick Soman, Decent CEO and Founder
Expanding Benefits, Starting with Payroll
Decent TPA, launched in 2018 in Austin, Texas, offers local small businesses the same tax-advantaged health plans that large companies have been leveraging for years to contain health insurance premium costs.
As a PEO, Decent can add other benefits such as payroll and HR management in addition to its affordable, comprehensive health insurance plans to small businesses in Texas and eventually across the U.S.
“There is no PEO like Decent Inc. that is paired this closely with the source of the health insurance plans it offers,” said Soman. “By carefully managing our health insurance plans, we can offer small businesses more affordable benefits in general, allowing them to better retain and hire great talent.”
Traditional PEOs make money on “middleman” administrative fees, which exacerbates healthcare expenses for small businesses, often their most costly employee benefit. Decent TPA customizes its health plans to drive down costs and reduce healthcare premiums by as much as 35 percent.
As a PEO, Decent can further support small businesses by adding payroll management and an intuitive human resources platform. Decent leaders are experienced in the payroll management field, having previously helped grow Gusto, one of the largest payroll companies in the U.S.
Texas-based small companies like Houston-based Hamilton Health Box and Austin-based Blink Identity are already taking advantage of Decent’s affordable payroll and benefits.
“We want to help small business owners keep doing the work they want to by finding affordable solutions to their biggest headaches like payroll functions and affordable health insurance,” explained Soman.
About Decent
Decent, Inc. is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) based in Austin, Texas. It is the only PEO owned and operated by the TPA that designs and manages the offered health insurance plans which means it can offer large savings to its members on both the employee benefits and their administration fees. Decent has partnered with the Texas Freelance Association (TFA). TFA is an association with a goal of assisting small employers so that they can “start, grow, and run their business successfully through education, networking, benefits, and access to jobs and affordable health insurance.” Decent TPA administers plans on behalf of the TFA with the goal of providing the Texas small business community with more affordable health insurance options to protect both their pocketbooks and their health.