One more thing: for our very small (2-3 person) company, a few years ago we researched the merits of individual plans vs. a company group plan. We requested a quote, and to convert our individual plans to a company plan would have roughly doubled the cost -- this was quite shocking as we had expected it to be cheaper when done through a company / group plan.
Until recently, one big advantage of a company (group) plan was that it was much harder to have your insurance cut vs. an individual plan. I believe the recent health reform legislation may have addresses this, but not sure if it's taken effect yet.
