Ares Benefit Group helps employers compare an Individual Coverage HRA or a Qualified Small Employer HRA with a group health plan, and then decide whether Take Command is the right administrator for that design. Take Command describes itself as QSEHRA and ICHRA administration software. In its official wording, the employer sets the budget, and Take Command handles enrollment, compliance, and employee support. Ares is a benefits advisor, not an HRA administrator, and is not appointed by or endorsed by Take Command.
The federal rules stay on ICHRA, QSEHRA, and ICHRA vs QSEHRA. This page explains Take Command's official role, not a second copy of those rules. It is not tax, legal, or insurance advice, and it is not an offer of coverage. We do not repeat Take Command's advertised savings, client counts, or time-spent claims as Ares's facts.
Request a proposal or call (813) 540-1299. Our agents are licensed in all 50 states.What Take Command is
Take Command's official site describes a process in three broad steps: the employer designs the reimbursement plan, Take Command handles legal requirements and employee onboarding, and Take Command then helps manage the claims or reimbursement process. Official product pages describe two arrangements:
- QSEHRA administration, built for small companies with up to 49 employees, which Take Command describes as a way for small employers to manage benefits without an HR department.
- ICHRA administration, designed for employers of any size, which Take Command describes as a flexible group-plan alternative or as something that can be used alongside group health insurance.
Those official size and use descriptions match the federal picture at a high level: a QSEHRA has a statutory eligibility cap, and an ICHRA can be offered by employers of any size, including next to a group plan for a permitted class. The contribution limits, notice rules, and class rules still come from the federal pages cited above, not from a vendor's marketing headline.
Take Command also describes administration for mid-market and larger employers, including companies with people in more than one state and companies with U.S.-based employees of an international firm. Those are use cases, not a rank. A multi-state workforce is often a natural ICHRA conversation, and it is still worth comparing that design with a national group network such as UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus.
How Take Command sits next to a group plan
When Take Command says an ICHRA can be used alongside group health insurance, that lines up with the federal class rules on the ICHRA page. A company might keep a Florida Blue, UnitedHealthcare, or AvMed plan for one class, and use an ICHRA for part-time employees or for people in other states, if the classes are permitted. We will only recommend a split the rules allow.
A standalone ICHRA or QSEHRA is also a fit for some groups that do not want a carrier-issued medical plan. That is a design choice, not a finding that group coverage is the weaker option. We will put both structures on a proposal when both may apply, including a SHOP policy and a level-funded plan where those are available, and we will not describe an HRA as cheaper in the abstract.
How Take Command compares with Thatch and PeopleKeep
Thatch officially administers ICHRAs by having the employer set a health budget and having employees choose individual coverage on the Thatch platform, with Thatch also describing itself as broker of record for those individual policies. PeopleKeep officially describes administration software with employee shopping, attestation, expense review, and plan-document generation, with the employer reimbursing verified expenses. Take Command officially emphasizes enrollment, compliance, and employee support across both ICHRA and QSEHRA. Those are different official descriptions of the same kind of work. We do not name a winner. The ICHRA administrators hub sets them next to each other.
What Ares still does, and what we need
Ares recommends the arrangement, the classes, and the contribution approach, and helps you put the employee notice and payroll pieces in place, including Section 125 questions. Take Command then runs the administration you have chosen. If you are an applicable large employer, the coverage-requirement test stays in our conversation.
For a company that has never offered coverage, Take Command's official small-business description — QSEHRA administration for companies with up to 49 employees, and ICHRA administration for employers of any size — is useful context, and it is still worth comparing those designs with a first-time small-group plan or a SHOP policy. We will put the structures that actually apply on one proposal and then select administration, rather than choosing a vendor before the design is set.
We need a census, worksite states, the current plan or HRA, the renewal date, and whether you want an ICHRA, a QSEHRA, or an ICHRA next to a group plan. Request a proposal or call (813) 540-1299.Frequently asked questions
Is Take Command an insurance carrier?
No. Take Command officially describes itself as HRA administration software for ICHRAs and QSEHRAs. Employees still enroll in individual coverage or, in a split design, in a group plan from a carrier.
Can a company with 12 employees use Take Command?
Yes, if a QSEHRA or an ICHRA is the right design for that company. Take Command officially describes QSEHRA administration for companies with up to 49 employees and ICHRA administration for employers of any size. Eligibility still follows the federal rules.
Can we use Take Command next to a group medical plan?
Take Command officially describes ICHRA administration as something that can be used alongside group health insurance. The federal class rules on the ICHRA page still control.
How is this different from a QSEHRA?
A QSEHRA and an ICHRA are different federal designs, compared on ICHRA vs QSEHRA. Take Command administers both, in its official materials, with QSEHRA administration described for companies with up to 49 employees.
Does Take Command replace Ares?
No. Start with a proposal so the design is clear, then select administration that fits.
Do you rank Take Command against Thatch or PeopleKeep?
No. We compare official descriptions and the service that actually fits the design you choose.
Ready for a proposal?