Protection Designed Around You
An independent employee benefits broker serving small and midsize employers across St. Joseph, Maryville, and Northwest Missouri — with every plan type available and no carrier bias.
Tailored solutions across every stage of life and business.
More small business owners in Northwest Missouri are losing good employees to competitors who offer better health benefits. The problem usually isn't budget — it's not knowing which type of plan actually fits your business. Fully insured, level-funded, ICHRA, association plans — each one works differently, and choosing the wrong structure costs you more than just money.
Group Health Insurance
John Joe Insurance is an independent broker that specializes on Employee Benefits. We broker for all the major carriers to include, Blue Cross Blue Shields of KC, Aetna, United Healthcare, The Health Plan, CIGNA and Humana.
Individual Insurance
Our office has 4 licensed brokers to assist with all your insurance needs. We are certified to sell the Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans to anyone that is unable to procure insurance through an employer. We also offer Short-Term Security plans for anyone that might be between jobs or have no other coverage available.
Medicare Marketplace
When you’re ready to retire or become eligible for Medicare. Our team is trained and certified to help you find the plan that fits your needs, while providing you the security of knowing you are covered. There are a variety of plans which includes: Medicare Supplements, Medicare Advantage, and Prescription Drug plans.
Dental & Vision
Our agency can offer dental and vision insurance to complement your health insurance coverage. We broker for the top carriers to insure that you have the best coverage.
Life Insurance
Don’t wait until it’s too late!! It’s never too early to start thinking about life insurance, John Joe Insurance can provide you with both Term and Whole Life policies depending on your situation. We also offer Life Insurance with Long-Term Care riders.
Disability Insurance
John Joe Insurance can offer Short-Term or Long-Term Disability to your Benefits Package also. Disability Insurance can be customized to fit your budget and employees’ lives.
Questions About How We Build Your Coverage
What is an ICHRA and is it a good fit for small businesses?
An Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA) lets employers reimburse employees tax-free for individual health insurance premiums instead of sponsoring a group plan. It works well for employers with part-time or variable workforces, multi-state teams, or businesses that want to offer a benefits contribution without managing a group plan. Whether it's the right fit depends on your workforce structure — we walk through that with you before recommending it.
What does ACA compliance actually require from employers?
For Applicable Large Employers, ACA compliance involves offering minimum essential coverage to full-time employees, filing 1095-C forms annually, and staying current on affordability thresholds that change each year. Smaller employers face fewer federal mandates but still need to understand how their plan design interacts with ACA rules. Our HR Hotline and compliance resources are specifically designed to keep local employers ahead of those requirements.
Does JJI Agency serve employers outside of St. Joseph?
Yes. We serve small and midsize employers throughout Northwest Missouri from two office locations — St. Joseph and Maryville. Our regional coverage includes Buchanan, Andrew, Nodaway, DeKalb, and surrounding counties. If you're in the area, you have access to local, in-person service.
Are employers in Missouri required to offer health insurance?
Businesses with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees are not required under the ACA to offer health coverage. However, businesses with 50 or more FTEs — called Applicable Large Employers — are subject to the employer mandate and must offer minimum essential coverage or face penalties. We help employers on both sides of that threshold understand their obligations.
What's the difference between fully insured and level-funded group health plans?
A fully insured plan charges a fixed monthly premium to the carrier, who assumes all the claims risk. A level-funded plan has you pay a set monthly amount into a claims fund — if your group uses less than projected, you may receive a refund at year end. Level-funded plans can cost less for groups with good claims history, but they carry more exposure if claims run high. We model both before recommending one.
What size business qualifies for group health insurance in Missouri?
In Missouri, group health insurance is generally available to businesses with two or more eligible employees. Some carriers set the minimum at two, others at five. If you're a sole proprietor or a business with only one employee, individual or spouse-based coverage may be a better fit — something we can also help you evaluate.