Federal law extends certain protections to employers seeking to buy health insurance for themselves and their workers. D.C. has enacted some reforms that expand some of these protections. Generally, small employers are those that employ 2-50 employees. Please note, however, that the definitions of small employer and employee are somewhat different under federal and state law. Check with the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking to be sure that you know which protections apply to your group.