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Self-Employed With No Employees in Buffalo? You Are NOT Stuck With the Marketplace

By Dick Tracy · Published July 9, 2026 · Updated August 26, 2026

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If you're self-employed, 1099, or a solo business owner in Buffalo with no employees, here's the myth I bust most often: the individual marketplace is not your only option, no matter who told you it was. There are real plans built for owners without a payroll, and because New York is community-rated, your rates aren't based on your health. My job is simple: I educate, you decide.

I'm Dick Tracy, an independent health insurance broker right here in Western New York, and helping exactly these people is what I do. I left the healthcare side of this business so there's no gag clause on me. I'll tell you the tips, the tricks, and the traps. So if you've been waved off to the marketplace, let's back up and look at what's actually on the table.

Why you got told "marketplace only"

Here's the thing nobody says out loud: a lot of brokers only work with businesses that have W-2 employees. So when a solo or 1099 owner calls, they get waved off to the marketplace. Not because that's your only option, but because that's the only kind of client that broker serves. That's a limit on who they work with, not a limit on what's available to you. Get a second opinion before you settle.

The marketplace traps for the self-employed

The marketplace works fine for some people, but it has a specific trap for business owners. Subsidies are based on your projected income, and if your income comes in higher than you estimated, which happens all the time when you run your own business, those subsidies can get clawed back at tax time. Uncle Sam always comes back to collect. Add in the expense and the narrow networks, and it's often not the deal it looks like. Compare before you commit.

The cheat code nobody tells the self-employed in New York

Pre-established ERISA group plans. ERISA is a federal law from 1974 that governs employer benefit plans, and federal law overrides New York's community rating. So instead of you shopping alone as an individual, I merge solo owners into an ERISA group that already exists. You get group rates, a true PPO network, and a policy you own and keep all the way to Medicare. No payroll required, no W-2 employee required. There's a simple compliance step I walk you through, and that's it. If you're healthy and you're in New York, this is the first thing I price. Here's the full breakdown.

What else is on the table

Once the foundation is set, I customize the plan based on the situation. Inexpensive add-ons like accident, critical-illness, and gap coverage fill the holes every plan has, so a bad day doesn't turn into a bad year. If you live in a state with private underwriting, guaranteed-renewable fixed-benefit plans that pay set benefits regardless of network are on the table too. A lot of owners do best combining a foundation plan for the everyday stuff with a catastrophic plan for the big events, so you're covered top to bottom without overpaying for one bloated plan that tries to do everything.

If your spouse has a group plan, read this

A spouse's employer group plan is often a great deal when the employer pays most of the premium. But the employer owns the rights to that coverage. If the covered spouse leaves the job or their health changes, the whole family can get pushed into guaranteed-issue marketplace coverage. One smart play is keeping the spouse on the group plan while putting the rest of the family on a separate private plan, so a single job change doesn't blow up everyone's coverage at once. Pack the parachute before the plane goes down.

Common questions from self-employed and 1099 owners