This article is for employers, employees, and contractors interested in individual and family health, dental, or vision insurance through Stride.
Through the Benefits Store for Individuals, you can learn about Gusto’s partner Stride. Stride helps people paid through Gusto find the right vision, dental, or Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant health insurance plan for their needs. You can apply for individual and family coverage—usually in about 10 minutes.
Q: What benefit does Stride provide to my employees?
A: If you do not offer employer-sponsored health insurance, Stride can help your employees find the right individual and family health insurance plan for their needs. They can apply quickly—usually in about 10 minutes. Stride also finds tax credits your employees may qualify for to lower their costs. It can also check if they’re eligible for Medicaid.
However, we generally recommend offering employer-sponsored health insurance to your employees for these reasons:
The cost to the employee is often lower for the same coverage.
Employer contributions are pre-tax.
Employee deductions are pre-tax.
Go to Benefits in your Gusto admin account to offer employer-sponsored health insurance through Gusto.
Q: Will this cost my employees or me anything?
A: No. It’s free to estimate savings or shop for plans.
Your employees only pay if they enroll in coverage. They pay their insurance carriers directly.
Q: Can my contractors use Stride as well?
A: Yes. Contractors can follow the same steps as employees to shop for plans from Benefits in their Gusto account.
Q: Does this affect my ability to offer employer-sponsored health insurance?
A: Not at all. Once you start applying for employer-sponsored health insurance, Stride no longer appears for your employees. Go to Benefits in your Gusto admin account to offer employer-sponsored health insurance through Gusto.
Q: What’s the difference between Stride and HealthCare.gov or other state marketplaces?
A: Stride is an official partner of HealthCare.gov. It offers all the same plans at the same prices as HealthCare.gov and the state marketplaces. But unlike HealthCare.gov, it offers select private plans you cannot buy from the marketplace.
Stride searches all available plans and recommends the best one based on your employees’ and contractors’ medical and financial needs. It also helps them unlock savings at the lowest possible price. Stride also offers one-on-one, unbiased support before, during, and after enrollment.
Q: Is Stride an insurance company?
A: No. Stride is an insurance broker. It searches for coverage on behalf of consumers and sells policies from insurance companies for a commission. Its commission does not affect the premiums the consumer pays.
Q: What’s the difference between employer-sponsored and individual insurance?
A: Your employer offers and may help pay for employer-sponsored health insurance. In most cases, this option costs less than individual and family insurance because your employer covers all or part of the premium. You also typically pay your share with pre-tax dollars. If your employer offers benefits, we recommend applying through them instead of choosing individual health insurance. Review all available plans to find the best fit for your budget.
For health insurance specifically, you buy individual and family coverage for yourself or your family. You pay the full premium after any eligible tax credits are applied. Premium payments are usually not eligible for pre-tax deductions.
Q: How much does Stride cost?
A: Stride is free to use for viewing and shopping for dental, vision, or individual and family insurance plans. If you decide to sign up with a carrier, the carrier bills you directly for the plan.
Insurance may seem expensive, but savings may help lower your premium. For health insurance specifically, you might qualify for tax credits that reduce the cost of coverage based on factors like age, income, and location. We automatically estimate tax credits, so Stride can help you find the right plan.
Q: Can I submit applications for spouses and dependents, too?
A: Yes, you can cover your entire family through Stride. You can submit applications for each family member for only the coverage they need, whether it’s health, dental, vision, or all three.
Q: Should I switch from Stride coverage to my company’s coverage?
A: If you enrolled in individual or family coverage through Stride but your employer now offers insurance, we recommend you consider switching to your employer’s plans. Some advantages of employer-sponsored plans:
Plans may cost less because your employer contributes toward the premium.
You pay your share through pre-tax payroll deductions instead of post-tax deductions.
Plans may offer better coverage.
When your employer offers health insurance, this generally counts as a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). A QLE lets you enroll in employer-sponsored insurance and cancel your individual or family coverage. Work directly with Stride if you need to cancel coverage.
Reach out to your employer if you’re unsure about your enrollment options.
Not everyone can apply for individual insurance at any time. Here’s how to check your eligibility and when you can apply.
Employees and contractors can access Stride in Gusto as long as their employer is not applying for employer-sponsored health insurance through Gusto.
Two factors determine your eligibility for individual insurance: demographic requirements and timing.
You must meet these three demographic requirements:
Live in the United States
Be a US citizen, national, or have an eligible immigration status
Cannot currently be incarcerated
If you meet the demographic requirements, timing depends on the type of insurance you’re applying for.
Health insurance:
The typical annual open enrollment period runs from November 1 to January 15, but this varies by state.
You can also apply if you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE)—like getting married, having a baby, or losing other coverage.
Dental insurance:
If this is your first time enrolling in individual dental insurance, you can enroll at any time.
If you’re renewing or replacing your current dental plan, the enrollment period is typically the month before your plan’s renewal date.
Vision insurance:
You can apply for individual vision insurance at any time.
Stride is an approved partner of HealthCare.gov. Through Stride, you can access all the same individual and family health insurance plans found on government health sites. You can also use simple tools to compare plans, learn about your options, and get help from Stride’s licensed team to find coverage and put your plan to use.
Q: How much do plans typically cost?
A: Prices vary based on several factors, including your plan’s coverage level (Bronze, Silver, Gold), your income, and how many dependents you want to cover. For more information, contact Stride.
Q: What do these health insurance plans cover?
A: Every health plan on Stride is considered a major medical insurance plan. That means every plan covers all the minimum essential benefit standards of the Affordable Care Act. This includes hospital stays, prescription drugs, surgeries, and emergency care. No plan can deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, and there are no lifetime maximum limitations for patients.
Q: Does health insurance include dental or vision coverage?
A: Most health insurance plans do not include adult dental or vision coverage. If you need a dental or vision plan, Stride offers custom plans you can add separately.
Q: How do I know if I qualify for a government program or tax credits? What do Gusto and Stride do with my savings estimate?
A: To determine your tax credit, the government looks at several factors:
Income: Your estimated annual income largely determines the tax credit type and amount you’ll get. It’s very important to calculate this number correctly for maximum savings, so be sure to follow Stride’s income estimator guide.
Family size: The government considers how many people will be on your plan. Adding people to your coverage can significantly increase your monthly premiums.
Filing status: If you’re married, you’ll typically need to file your taxes jointly to qualify for a tax credit-eligible health plan. Couples who file separately are generally not eligible. The government allocates tax credits at the household level and reconciles those amounts at tax time. When you file separately, it’s too difficult to confirm you received an accurate tax credit amount.
Citizenship status: You do not need to be a US citizen to qualify for tax credits. Immigrants with green cards, employees or students with visas, and refugees can all apply. Get the full list of eligible immigration statuses here.
Location: How much you pay for health insurance depends on where you live. The cost of living, local legislation, and the number of insurance providers vary from state to state, so your tax credit will too.
Note: Neither Stride nor Gusto saves or collects any of the information you enter when getting a tax credit estimate.
Q: What impact do tax credit savings have on my taxes?
A: Many people do not perfectly estimate their annual income on their application. Don’t worry—you can sort this out at tax time. We recommend you contact Stride about any impact on your tax credits.
Q: How does Stride compare to Medicaid? What if I’d like to apply for Medicaid instead?
A: If you’re enrolled in Medicaid, consider keeping your existing coverage. You’ll save the most money on healthcare through Medicaid.
If you’re not currently on Medicaid, the See how much I can save button can tell you whether you’re eligible. You can access it by following the steps in the View quotes, estimate tax credit eligibility, and apply for coverage through Stride section of the article. It provides you with the correct state health exchange information for applying and enrolling in coverage.
When you enroll through Stride’s website, you’ll need to estimate your income. Stride uses this to calculate your premium tax credit eligibility.
If you overestimate your income, your premium tax credit will be smaller than what you qualify for. But don’t worry—you can get this money back as a tax refund at the end of the year.
If you underestimate your income, you might need to pay the government back for part of your premium tax credit when you file taxes.
Expand the sections to learn more about available plans, estimate your eligibility for a premium tax credit for health insurance, and apply for coverage.
To shop for Stride plans from a web browser:
Go to Benefits.
On the relevant Stride tile, click Learn more.
If you cannot find this, your employer may already offer health insurance benefits.
If so, we recommend applying for your company’s small-group insurance. With small-group health insurance, your premium may be lower after the company contribution, your payroll deductions come out pre-tax, and the coverage may be better.
If your employer does not offer or plan to offer benefits, shop for individual insurance on Stride’s website.
Click Apply with Stride. Stride’s website opens, allowing you to view quotes and choose coverage.
For health insurance: If you want to estimate your eligibility for a premium tax credit first, choose See how much I can save. The estimate is based entirely on the information you provide. We do not store it or use it in any other way. If any of the information you entered is incorrect, use the back button or return to the Gusto home screen to restart.
If you’re ready to enroll after estimating your tax credit, choose Continue. Stride’s website opens, allowing you to start the application process.
To shop for Stride plans from the Gusto mobile app:
Open the Gusto mobile app.
Once you’re signed in, go to the Benefits tab.
Choose the relevant Stride tile.
If you cannot find this, your employer may already offer health insurance benefits.
If so, we recommend applying for your company’s small-group insurance.
If your employer does not offer or plan to offer benefits, shop for individual insurance on Stride’s website.
Select Apply with Stride. Stride’s website opens, allowing you to view quotes and apply for coverage.
For health insurance: If you want to estimate your eligibility for a premium tax credit first, choose See how much I can save. The estimate is based entirely on the information you provide. We do not store it or use it in any other way. If any of the information you entered is incorrect, use the back button or return to the Gusto home screen to restart.
If you’re ready to enroll after estimating your tax credit, choose Continue. Stride’s website opens, allowing you to start the application process.
Here’s how to reach Stride:
Phone: (855) 713-2695
Email: [email protected]
Chat: Available through the icon on the bottom right of Stride’s website
Reach out to Stride for all questions about your enrollment and more:
How to pick the right plan
How to apply
Questions about costs
How to use health, dental, or vision insurance plans
What premium tax credits you may qualify for and how they apply to your premiums, both when paying insurance carriers and when filing taxes
Medicaid eligibility
Whether you’re going through a Qualifying Life Event (QLE)
How to get in touch with a health insurance carrier
How to deduct expenses, make payments, file claims, update your personal information, keep your tax credit, and change plans
Contact us if:
You’re an employee with issues getting a tax credit estimate in Gusto.
You’re an employer who wants to remove the Stride offering from Gusto for you and your employees.