When did ICHRA start? (Give me quick history lesson)

We often hear this alongside: “How come I’ve never heard of ICHRA before?”

Fair question — it’s still relatively new.

ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) was introduced in 2020 through federal regulation, designed to expand and modernize traditional HRAs. Earlier versions of HRAs never fully took off because they came with tight restrictions — limiting which businesses could offer them and how much employers could contribute.

ICHRA changed that.

Today, businesses of any size can offer an ICHRA and contribute any amount toward their employees’ health insurance and medical expenses. In short, it removed the guardrails that made older HRAs hard to use — and replaced them with flexibility.

Gallagher ICHRA powered by StretchDollar takes that flexibility and makes it practical for small businesses — delivering a simple, affordable way to offer meaningful health benefits without the complexity of traditional group plans.