Duke University
Updated Filing received by DOL
Duke University, an education services employer in Durham, North Carolina, reported 41,333 participants in its health and welfare plans for plan year 2024. Its Form 5500 shows $2.0M in insurance premiums across 16 contracts and $2.0M in broker commissions and fees. The plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. The Department of Labor received the filing on October 13, 2025, within the extension window.
Who was paid on Duke University's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Duke University filed for 2024.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Iii Brokerage Inc · Charlotte, NC | $1,180,377 | $2,500 | $1,182,877 | 7 |
| Mercer · Chicago, IL | $0 | $476,492 | $476,492 | 2 |
| Mgis, Inc · Salt Lake City, UT | $0 | $101,606 | $101,606 | 1 |
| Marsh McLennan Agency · Raleigh, NC | $41,037 | $23,238 | $64,275 | 3 |
| Newman a Townsend · Raleigh, NC | $30 | $0 | $30 | 1 |
| Holroyd Agency · Raleigh, NC | $12 | $0 | $12 | 1 |
| D.L. Davis & Co · Winstonsalem, NC | $2 | $0 | $2 | 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.
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 Duke University 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.
Year over year
| 2023 | 2024 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 39,706 | 41,333 | +4.1% |
| Premiums filed | $1,667,766 | $1,976,780 | +18.5% |
| Broker commissions + fees | $1,852,390 | $1,998,494 | +7.9% |
| Commission rate | — | — | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 filings for plan years 2023 and 2024.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University Welfare and Fringe Benefits Plan#524 · insurance, general assets | December 31, 2024 | October 13, 2025 | within extension | 41,333 |
| Duke University Retiree Health Plan#525 · insurance, general assets | December 31, 2024 | October 13, 2025 | within extension | 6,231 |
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 Duke University pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2024?
Duke University's 2024 Form 5500 reports $1,998,494 in broker commissions and fees across 16 insurance contracts ($1,394,658 in commissions, $603,836 in fees), with Mark Iii Brokerage Inc receiving the largest share.
Is Duke University'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 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Cigna Health and Life Ins Company.
How does Duke University's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Duke University because the filing does not report medical premium on Schedule A (usual for self-funded plans). In dollars, employers with 5,000+ participants that disclosed broker pay reported a median of $458,262.
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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.