| Broker | Address | Carrier | Commissions | Fees | Total comp | % of premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE STERLING GROUP INC3 Filed as: STERLING BENEFITS LLC | 512 W LANCASTER AVENUE STE C WAYNE, PA 19087 | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | $66K | $2K | $69K | 12.37% |
| BENEFIT CONCEPTS INC3 | 8554 KATY FWY SUITE 100 HOUSTON, TX 77024 | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | $5K | $0 | $5K | 0.86% |
| Provider | Services | Address | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STERLING BENEFITS, LLC BROKER | Insurance agents and brokers Service code 22 | 252 N RADNOR CHESTER RD ST. DAVIDS, PA 19087 | $132K |
| INDEPENDENCE ADMINISTRATORS EIN 23-2184623 ADMIN | Claims processing Service code 12 | — | $119K |
| THE BENECON GROUP, LLC EIN 23-1315351 BROKER | Insurance agents and brokers Service code 22 | — | $67K |
| CONNECTCARE 3 EIN 26-1768616 OTHER | Other services Service code 49 | — | $22K |
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 | 584 | Currently employed and enrolled or eligible. |
| Retired/separated still receiving benefits | 28 | Continuation coverage (COBRA, retiree health). |
| Retired/separated still eligible | 0 | Vested but not currently using benefits. |
| Total participants (= "Plan participants" tile) | 612 | Active + retired/separated + beneficiaries. No dependents. |
| Coverage | Top carrier | Persons covered EOY | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 584 | $554K |
| Vision | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 584 | $554K |
| Life insurance | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 584 | $554K |
| Short-term disability | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 584 | $554K |
| Long-term disability | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 584 | $554K |
| Stop-loss / reinsurancereinsurance | EVEREST REINSURANCE COMPANY | 568 | $832K |
| Other | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 584 | $554K |
| Persons covered (= "Persons covered" tile) | Max across the rows above | 584 | — |
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.
Premium per covered life exceeds 2× the peer median for this NAICS + size cohort. Either richly-funded plan or struggling with a bad rate.
Schedule A presence shifted between filings (insured ↔ self-funded, or new contracts added/removed). Capture the transition window.