Delivering affordable health benefits
A level-funded health plan for employers with as few as 25 employees.
Great health benefits shouldn't be a luxury only big companies can afford.
Whether you're running a family-owned business, scaling a fast-growing startup, or managing employees across multiple states, Zuniga Health helps you deliver health benefits your team will actually value—without blowing your budget. Our full suite of level-funded plans—MEC (Minimum Essential Coverage), MVP (Minimum Value Plan), PPO, and HDHP—gives you the flexibility to find the right fit, backed by a robust network of national and regional providers in all 50 states. Zuniga Health's premiums are typically 15–20% lower than fully-insured carriers.
Featured partnership
Exclusive partnership with Advocate Health Care.
Find care near you at Advocate Health Care, one of the leading health systems in the Chicago area.
Zuniga Health has an exclusive partnership with Advocate Health Care, part of Advocate Health — the 5th largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States.
Zuniga Health co-developed with Advocate Health Care 3 PPO plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold) and 7 HDHP level-funded medical benefits.
Access to providers is easier than ever before because employees can choose from hundreds of Advocate Health Care providers through one of the largest primary and specialty networks.
- Multiple plan options: PPO and HDHP
- Multiple plan options can be used by the same employer group
- Access to Advocate Health Care hospitals, primary care physicians, specialists, and ancillary services
- Advocate's telehealth services for urgent care, primary care, and select specialties
- Rebates from PBMs deposited into the client's claim account
- At contract end, 100% of the account balance is the employer's money
- AI-powered virtual health assistant that answers employees' questions about benefits, providers, copays, coverage, and more — instantly and accurately. Saves HR an average of 9 hours every week on benefits-related tasks
- The plans also include a comprehensive pharmacy benefit strategy that offers specialty medication oversight, rebate transparency, and cost-conscious formulary management
Coverage options
Understanding health coverage that works.
MEC, MVP, and the Zuniga Health Difference.
Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC)
The foundation of compliant, affordable healthcare access. MEC is health coverage that satisfies the Affordable Care Act's requirement for essential health protection — giving employees access to preventive care, wellness screenings, and routine checkups at no additional cost. For employers, it's the simplest way to stay compliant while giving your workforce a real safety net.
For employees, it means no more skipping the doctor because of cost — annual physicals, immunizations, and screenings are covered from day one, catching small health issues before they become expensive ones.
Best for: Employers who want to offer meaningful coverage affordably while meeting compliance requirements, and employees who want a low-cost way to stay on top of preventive health. (Penalty A)
Minimum Value Plan (MVP)
Coverage that actually shows up when it matters. An MVP goes a step further than MEC — it's designed to cover at least 60% of expected healthcare costs for a standard population, including hospital and physician services.
That means when something bigger than a checkup happens — a surgery, an ER visit, a diagnosis — employees aren't left footing the entire bill alone. It's the difference between "checking a box" coverage and coverage that provides real financial protection when life gets complicated.
Best for: Employers who want to offer substantial, meaningful protection that helps avoid the ACA's employer shared responsibility penalties, and employees who need confidence that major medical events won't mean major medical debt. (Penalty B)
Healthcare that fits, not coverage that's forced.
Traditional health plans ask everyone to pay for the same thing, whether they use it or not. Zuniga Health does it differently.
Built specifically for small and medium-sized businesses, Zuniga Health offers level-funded health plans that combine the cost predictability employers need with the flexibility employees actually want.
The centerpiece is Zuniga's signature pay-per-need model: instead of a one-size-fits-all plan, employees choose and pay for the number of doctor and lab visits they realistically expect to use each year.
That means:
- A healthy 28-year-old who visits the doctor twice a year isn't subsidizing a plan built for someone who needs monthly care.
- An employee managing a chronic condition can select a visit allowance that matches their actual needs, rather than rationing care to stay within a generic plan.
- Employers get predictable, level-funded costs month to month, with the potential for savings if claims come in lower than projected — all without the volatility of fully insured plans.
It's a model built on a simple idea: healthcare spending should reflect real usage, not guesswork. That's more control for employees, more predictability for employers, and less waste for everyone.
The Result
Small and medium-sized businesses get access to smart, flexible health benefits that used to be reserved for large corporations — without overpaying for coverage nobody's using.
A better story to bring to every renewal.
Your employer clients are overpaying for their fully insured coverage — and getting nothing back in return
We partner with forward-thinking brokers to deliver cost-effective, high-quality benefit solutions that help clients reduce costs without sacrificing care. Zuniga Health empowers your clients with smarter health plans that improve outcomes, enhance the employee experience, and provide greater value for employers, employees, and their families.
Innovative Level-Funded Plan Design
Deliver a health plan employees will value and use. Our innovative level-funded plan design removes financial barriers to care, encourages preventive treatment, and helps employees get the care they need without unexpected costs.
National & Regional Provider Networks
Give your clients' employees unmatched access to quality, in-network care through national and regional provider networks across all 50 states — wherever they live, work, or travel.
Employee Experience
Give your clients' employees an exceptional experience from day one. Our AI-powered digital app makes finding care, understanding benefits, and managing claims effortless — while our high-touch bilingual customer service team delivers real human support in the language members prefer. Happy employees mean fewer complaints, higher satisfaction scores, and a benefits program your clients actually brag about.
Zero Balance Billing Risk
No surprise bills for employees. Your clients get a clean PPO experience — not the RBP headaches that damage broker relationships.
Competitive Broker Compensation
You don't sacrifice comp to offer a better product. Earn competitively on par with fully insured, plus stronger retention year over year.
Stronger Renewal Position
Stop defending 30%–40% premium increases. Walk into renewal with a refund-check story and cost-trend data. That's retention — and referrals.
Our mission
Elevating the Hispanic business community through accessible health benefits.
Today, there are nearly 5 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S., contributing more than $700 billion to the economy each year. In Chicago alone, 100,000 Hispanic-owned businesses account for 62% of employment.
Zuniga Health seeks to increase the number of Hispanic employees obtaining affordable, accessible health benefits. As a leader in inclusive health care, we provide multilingual support and culturally responsive services.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Zuniga Health is a level-funded health plan for employers with as few as 25 employees.
Level-Funded Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) and Minimum Value Plans (MVP) for hourly employees and to manage ACA penalties A and B, plus PPO, HDHP, Dental and Vision plans.
Yes. We meet all regulations surrounding the Affordable Care Act.
Zuniga Health operates in all 50 states.
Let's talk.
If you're an employer or broker focused on offering affordable health benefits, drop us a line. A member of our sales team will be in touch shortly.
Juan Martinez, Vice President