Blue Zones, LLC
Updated Filing received by DOL
Blue Zones, LLC, a professional & technical services employer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, reported 107 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2024. Its Form 5500 shows 2 insurance contracts with no premium reported and $55,791 in broker commissions and fees. The plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. The Department of Labor received the filing on April 10, 2026, within the extension window.
Who was paid on Blue Zones, LLC's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Blue Zones, LLC filed for 2024.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown & Brown · Minneapolis, MN | $34,640 | $0 | $34,640 | 2 |
| Armbruster Executive Employee Benef · Oakdale, MN | $16,787 | $0 | $16,787 | 2 |
| Gis Benefits Inc · Morris, IL | $0 | $4,364 | $4,364 | 1 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, Part I (broker commissions and fees), plan year 2024, as published in EBSA's 2024 "Latest" dataset. Part I names whoever the carrier paid, which can be a firm or an individual agent; both are public record. Amounts exclude pay from carriers not tied to a listed contract.
Insurance contracts and carriers
Every insurance contract reported on Schedule A: carrier, what it covers, people covered at year end, earned premium, and broker compensation.
| Carrier · coverage | Covered | Premium | Broker pay | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bcbsmn, Inc, D.B.A. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesotahealth, dental, vision | 213 | — | $38,873 | — |
| Principal Life Insurance Companylife, short-term disability, long-term disability | 306 | — | $16,918 | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, plan year 2024. Self-funded medical coverage has no premium; amounts shown for it are stop-loss or administrative contracts.
How Blue Zones, LLC compares
Medians across employers for plan year 2024, the most recent complete year. Commission rates use fully insured medical contracts only; dollar medians use every employer that disclosed broker pay.
Not computable: no insured medical premium on the filing.
Source: BenefitsLedger benchmarks from 58,547 employer health plans with 100 or more participants, plan year 2024. Methodology.
Filings and timeliness
Plans this employer filed under its EIN with a health benefit code. Large plans are due seven months after the plan year ends, or two and a half months later with an extension; amended filings carry the amendment date, so no timing is asserted for them.
| Plan | Plan year end | Received by DOL | Timing | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Zones, LLC Group Benefit Plan#555 · insurance, general assets | June 30, 2025 | April 10, 2026 | within extension | 107 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Part I and signature dates; "late" means received after the extended deadline (the 15th day of the tenth month after plan year end). What a late Form 5500 costs.
How much did Blue Zones, LLC pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2024?
Blue Zones, LLC's 2024 Form 5500 reports $55,791 in broker commissions and fees across 2 insurance contracts ($51,427 in commissions, $4,364 in fees), with Brown & Brown receiving the largest share.
Is Blue Zones, LLC's health plan self-funded or fully insured?
The 2024 filing indicates the plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. Medical coverage is written by Bcbsmn, Inc, D.B.A. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
How does Blue Zones, LLC's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Blue Zones, LLC because the filing does not report medical premium on Schedule A (usual for self-funded plans). In dollars, employers with 100-199 participants that disclosed broker pay reported a median of $53,852.
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Record built October 24, 2026 from U.S. Department of Labor, EBSA Form 5500 datasets (2025, 2024, 2023 plan years, 'Latest' files). Filings can run 7 to 10 months behind the plan year; always confirm against current plan documents. BenefitsLedger is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor. Open the DOL filing search.