Employee benefits for physical therapy clinics,made easy.
89% of U.S. physical, occupational, and speech therapy 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.
Therapy clinics at a glance
Offering benefits at a therapy clinic
Therapists, assistants, and aides on very different pay, with part-time schedules common. Here’s what shapes a benefits plan for a physical therapy clinic.
- of U.S. physical, occupational, and speech therapy practices have fewer than 20 employees
- 89%
- projected growth for physical therapist assistants and aides, 2025–2035
- 17%
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: physical therapist assistants and aides
- average weekly hours at therapy offices in 2025, under the 30-hour full-time line
- 27.9
Source: BLS Current Employment Statistics: offices of physical, occupational, and speech therapists, 2025
Two very different pay levels
Physical therapist assistants earn a median $68,380 a year and aides $35,240. A contribution that feels modest to one can be a big share of the other’s pay, so it’s worth setting with both in mind.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: physical therapist assistants and aides
Part-time aides
Part-time work is common in therapy clinics. A SHOP marketplace plan has to be offered to employees averaging 30 or more hours a week, and covering part-timers is your choice.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: physical therapist assistants and aides; HealthCare.gov: who qualifies for SHOP
Participation
In most states, at least 70% of the employees you offer SHOP coverage to need to enroll or have coverage elsewhere, so offering it to part-timers changes the math.
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.
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 clinic owners ask.
Federal rules treat an employee who averages 30 or more hours a week, or 130 a month, as full time. A SHOP marketplace plan has to be offered to every full-time employee but not to part-time staff. We’ll help you set eligibility that fits your team.
Tell us about your clinic.
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?