Recommendations re. small group insurance? So CA

Hi. I'm researching options re. a small group policy and looking for recommendations. I have insurance through the University of CA but it has been worthless for anything other than meds. That's partly my fault, but at nearly 35 years old, I don't want to go sit with freshmen in the campus health center so I pay privately for medical/dental costs.

I am self-employed and have a few employees so I could purchase a small group policy. One of the surgeons' offices recommended United Health Care. I looked up some info and found out that the coverage isn't available "in my area," perhaps due to the small size of the business (3 FT employees vs. 3000 or something).

Other question is... I thought when you purchased a small group policy that you didn't have to worry about preexisting conditions (e.g., MO), but the application does include info related to weight, medical history, etc. Ideas? I had previously tried to apply for individual policies before I gained more weight and was denied due to weight. I need to move quickly so that if I have to jump through any hoops I can get started. I'm having the surgery regardless, but if I can get help paying for it that would be great. Thanks for any ideas.

Kelli