Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Updated Filing received by DOL
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a professional & technical services employer in La Jolla, California, reported 907 participants in its health and welfare plans for plan year 2024. Its Form 5500 shows 13 insurance contracts with no premium reported and $24,608 in broker commissions and fees. The plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. The Department of Labor received the filing on July 11, 2025, before the deadline.
Who was paid on Salk Institute for Biological Studies's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Salk Institute for Biological Studies filed for 2024.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marsh McLennan Agency · San Diego, CA | $16,109 | $5,229 | $21,338 | 3 |
| Lockton · Dallas, TX | $0 | $2,204 | $2,204 | 3 |
| Plansource Benefits Administration · Orlando, FL | $0 | $1,066 | $1,066 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aetna Life Insurance Companyhealth, prescription drug, PPO | 628 | — | — | — |
| Reliastar Life Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 134 | — | $17,175 | — |
| Lyra Health, Inc.coverage not coded | 761 | — | — | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 78 | — | — | — |
| Hartford Life and Accidentcoverage not coded | 201 | — | — | — |
| Aetna Life Insurance Companydental | 260 | — | $1,481 | — |
| Hartford Life and Accidentlife, short-term disability, long-term disability | 761 | — | $5,782 | — |
| Berkely Life and Health Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 1,136 | — | — | — |
| Vision Service Planvision | 451 | — | — | — |
| Aetna Health, Inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 401 | — | — | — |
| Aetna Life Insurance Companyhealth, prescription drug, PPO | 57 | — | — | — |
| Hartford Life and Accidentlife, short-term disability, long-term disability | 103 | — | $170 | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 5 | — | — | — |
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 Salk Institute for Biological Studies 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 | 838 | 907 | +8.2% |
| Premiums filed | $0 | $0 | — |
| Broker commissions + fees | $43,656 | $24,608 | −43.6% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salk Institute Group Welfare Benefits Plan#501 · insurance, general assets | December 31, 2024 | July 11, 2025 | before deadline | 907 |
| Salk Institute Retiree Benefits Plan#505 · insurance, general assets | December 31, 2024 | July 11, 2025 | before deadline | 106 |
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 Salk Institute for Biological Studies pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2024?
Salk Institute for Biological Studies's 2024 Form 5500 reports $24,608 in broker commissions and fees across 13 insurance contracts ($16,109 in commissions, $8,499 in fees), with Marsh McLennan Agency receiving the largest share.
Is Salk Institute for Biological Studies'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 Aetna Life Insurance Company, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc., Aetna Health, Inc..
How does Salk Institute for Biological Studies's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Salk Institute for Biological Studies because the filing does not report medical premium on Schedule A (usual for self-funded plans). In dollars, employers with 500-999 participants that disclosed broker pay reported a median of $104,902.
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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.