I am looking to get health insurance for my wife, my son, and I.l am a self-employed business owner in Texas. The IRS states that I am eligible to deduct the amount l pay for health insurance if l have a net profit for the year and l establish the insurance plan under my business name. My question is: am l obligated to also cover my two employees if l establish the plan under the the business name? The premiums nearly tripled when l got a quote including my employees versus just my family.

This is not tax advice & u will need to consult a qualified tax professional but there is no IRS requirement that a sole proprietor must have an insurance plan under a business name in order to be eligible for the self employed health insurance tax deduction (however it is true that u must have a net profit for the year - the deduction cannot cause the company to have a loss).

Of course, a lot depends on the type of entity that ur business is set up as (you may not even be operating as a sole proprietor but as an LLC, Corp, S-Corp, etc.) so be sure & check with an experienced Texas health insurance agent.

Here is some more information on small business health insurance options & also some information specifically on health insurance in Texas: