| Broker | Address | Carrier | Commissions | Fees | Total comp | % of premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIRCH BENEFITS LLC3 Filed as: BIRCH BENEFITS | 480 SWEDESFORD RD STE 130 WAYNE, PA 19087 | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | $13K | $0 | $13K | 8.82% |
| Provider | Services | Address | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIRCH BENEFITS EIN 83-1352484 BROKER | Insurance agents and brokers Service code 22 | — | $37K |
| THE BENECON GROUP EIN 23-1315351 BROKER | Insurance agents and brokers Service code 22 | — | $22K |
| UMR EIN 39-1995276 CARRIER | Claims processing Service code 12 | — | $18K |
| CONNECTCARE3 EIN 26-1768616 PATIENT ADVISOR | Other services Service code 49 | — | $6K |
Benefits declared on the Form 5500 main form (✓ = also has a Schedule A insurance contract; otherwise the benefit is funded out of plan assets or via a Schedule C TPA).
The plan reports several different headcounts depending on which form you read. Each one measures a different slice of the population.
| Active participants | 142 | Currently employed and enrolled or eligible. |
| Retired/separated still receiving benefits | 0 | Continuation coverage (COBRA, retiree health). |
| Retired/separated still eligible | 0 | Vested but not currently using benefits. |
| Total participants (= "Plan participants" tile) | 142 | Active + retired/separated + beneficiaries. No dependents. |
| Coverage | Top carrier | Persons covered EOY | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 145 | $149K |
| Vision | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 145 | $149K |
| Life insurance | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 145 | $149K |
| Short-term disability | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 145 | $149K |
| Long-term disability | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 145 | $149K |
| Other | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 145 | $149K |
| Persons covered (= "Persons covered" tile) | Max across the rows above | 145 | — |
Why the numbers differ. Form 5500 line 6 counts employees + retirees + beneficiaries; no dependents. Schedule A persons-covered counts everyone enrolled, including spouses and children, so it usually exceeds line 6 by 30-60% on a working-age workforce. The medical row is normally the broadest single line because it has the highest take-up; dental/vision/life often dip below it. Stop-loss / reinsurance contracts sometimes report the carrier's full underwriting pool rather than this filer's headcount; the row is shown for transparency but shouldn't be read as "people in this plan."
Broker compensation exceeds 5% of premium. Either a small-plan minimum-fee dynamic or an inefficient broker structure ripe for a counter-bid.
Top carrier holds >85% of premium. If that carrier hits a rate increase, the entire plan moves.