Employee benefits for medical practices,made easy.
88% of U.S. physician practices have fewer than 20 employees.
You want great benefits for your team. You don’t have the time or the resources to get them.
That isn’t on you. For decades, the benefits industry has been built for big companies, and small businesses have been left to figure it out alone. Cakewalk was built for you.
How it works
You run your business. We handle the benefits.
Tell us about your business.
Start with your business name. We fill in what we can find. Connect payroll and your team comes with it.
Hundreds of options. One tailored package.
We compare hundreds of plans for your team. You get one package, priced and ready to adjust.
We get your team covered.
We invite your team. You see who has started. Each person gets help choosing. Everyone is covered.
Benefits admin. Off your plate.
New hires and departures sync from payroll. Each employee gets a benefits wallet. Their questions come to us, not you.
Your benefits team. On the house.
You pay for coverage. Insurance carriers pay us a commission, so we can handle everything from building your package to supporting your team year round, at no cost to you.
Medical practices at a glance
Offering benefits at a medical practice
Independent practices compete with hospital systems for the same medical assistants and nurses. Here’s what shapes a benefits plan for a practice like yours.
- of U.S. physician practices have fewer than 20 employees
- 88%
- openings a year projected for medical assistants, 2025–2035
- 109,700
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: medical assistants
- of private workers in health care and social assistance have access to employer medical coverage
- 73%
Source: BLS Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026: health care and social assistance
Competing with health systems
Medical assistant jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035. 56% work in physicians’ offices and 17% in hospitals, so a small practice is hiring against larger employers.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: medical assistants
Every full-time employee
A SHOP marketplace plan has to be offered to all full-time employees, generally those averaging 30 or more hours a week.
Sources: IRS: identifying full-time employees; HealthCare.gov: who qualifies for SHOP
If you own the business through an S corporation
Premiums for an owner with more than 2% of an S corporation are deductible by the company and reported as wages on the owner’s W-2, but they aren’t subject to Social Security or Medicare tax. The owner may then be able to deduct them personally.
Source: IRS: S corporation compensation and medical insurance
Benefits are your choice under 50
Employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees, counting full-time equivalents, aren’t subject to the federal requirement to offer coverage. Offering benefits is a decision you make for your team, not a mandate.
Source: IRS: applicable large employers
The small business tax credit
The federal credit can cover up to 50% of premiums for employers with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees and average wages under $68,200 in 2026, if you pay at least half of employee-only premiums and buy through the SHOP marketplace. Owners and their families don’t count toward the totals. SHOP plans aren’t offered everywhere, so check your state’s guide.
More than medical
Dental, vision, life insurance, and income protection can round out a package for clinical and front-office staff at a cost you can plan for.
The whole benefits package.
Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and income protection. Built around your business and the people who power it.
Start with your team’s needs and your business’s budget. Explore medical coverage online, or work with a benefits advisor to understand your options and choose your next step.
Questions practice owners ask.
Not under federal law if you have fewer than 50 full-time employees, counting full-time equivalents. Offering benefits is your choice, and it’s often a deciding factor for the people you want to hire and keep.
Tell us about your practice.
We’ll follow up to learn about your business and walk you through your options. There’s no cost to work with us.
Prefer to start on your own?