Starbucks Corporation
Updated Filing received by DOL
Starbucks Corporation, a retail — stores, food, auto, clothing employer in Seattle, Washington, reported 211,247 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2024. Its Form 5500 shows $44M in insurance premiums across 35 contracts and $3.3M 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 23, 2026, before the deadline.
Who was paid on Starbucks Corporation's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Starbucks Corporation filed for 2024.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aon · Lincolnshire, IL | $2,435,274 | $13 | $2,435,287 | 17 |
| Hewitt Ins Brokerage LLC · Chicago, IL | $360,401 | $0 | $360,401 | 4 |
| Hewitt Insurance Brokerage LLC · Lincolnshire, IL | $178,970 | $56,849 | $235,819 | 3 |
| Willis Towers Watson · New York, NY | $0 | $234,402 | $234,402 | 2 |
| Gallagher · Seattle, WA | $33,689 | $0 | $33,689 | 2 |
| Jennifer Buck · Lincolnshire, IL | $16,158 | $0 | $16,158 | 2 |
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
The 24 largest of 35 contracts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Options, Inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 2,643 | $20M | $209,904 | 1.1% |
| Delta Dental of Washingtondental | 9,592 | $7.3M | $217,080 | 3.0% |
| Delta Dental of Washingtondental | 16,255 | $6.6M | $195,855 | 3.0% |
| Medical Mutualhealth, prescription drug | 1,218 | $6.5M | $77,727 | 1.2% |
| Vision Service Planvision | 19,020 | $3.2M | $161,700 | 5.0% |
| Delta Dental of Washingtondental | 2,040 | $574,640 | $17,275 | 3.0% |
| Unitedhealthcare Insurance Companyhealth, dental, vision, prescription drug · amount flagged as implausible, excluded | 18,821 | — | — | — |
| Aetna Life Insurance Co.health, dental, prescription drug · amount flagged as implausible, excluded | 10,504 | — | — | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwesthealth, prescription drug, HMO | 828 | — | $43,735 | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 1,060 | — | $85,000 | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Coloradohealth, prescription drug, HMO | 1,243 | — | $101,171 | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia,inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 688 | — | $54,031 | — |
| Premera Blue Crosshealth, prescription drug · amount flagged as implausible, excluded | 14,506 | — | — | — |
| Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company and Affiliates (cigna)dental, HMO, indemnity | 9,767 | — | $189,523 | — |
| Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company and Affiliates (cigna)health, indemnity · amount flagged as implausible, excluded | 10,312 | — | — | — |
| Dean Health Plan Inchealth, prescription drug | 128 | — | $11,425 | — |
| Prevea360 Health Planhealth, prescription drug | 52 | — | $4,733 | — |
| Geisinger Quality Options, Inc.health, prescription drug | 151 | — | $17,270 | — |
| Dentegra Insurance Companydental | 2,561 | — | $15,537 | — |
| UPMC Health Optionshealth, prescription drug | 1,562 | — | $133,706 | — |
| Hawaii Medical Service Associationhealth, prescription drug | 845 | — | $56,849 | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inchealth, prescription drug, HMO | 4,489 | — | $419,765 | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 7,309 | — | $546,698 | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.health, prescription drug, HMO | 200 | — | $13,682 | — |
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 Starbucks Corporation 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.
Premium per covered person on medical contracts: $6,773 a year (national median $7,274).
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 | 228,674 | 211,247 | −7.6% |
| Premiums filed | $39,054,788 | $43,825,016 | not comparable |
| Broker commissions + fees | $4,056,914 | $3,315,756 | −18.3% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation Welfare Benefits Plan#506 · insurance, general assets | September 30, 2025 | April 23, 2026 | before deadline | 211,247 |
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 Starbucks Corporation pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2024?
Starbucks Corporation's 2024 Form 5500 reports $3,315,756 in broker commissions and fees across 35 insurance contracts ($3,024,492 in commissions, $291,264 in fees), with Aon receiving the largest share.
Is Starbucks Corporation'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 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Options, Inc., Medical Mutual, Unitedhealthcare Insurance Company.
How does Starbucks Corporation's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Starbucks Corporation 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.
Send the full findings to your inbox.
A specialist writes up every finding for Starbucks Corporation with the methodology and public-source citations, in a form you can forward to your CFO or counsel. Tick the box if you also want a 15-minute walkthrough call.
We don't sell your email. By submitting, you agree that BenefitsLedger and its benefits advisory partner, WellthCare, may email or call you about these findings. Opt out anytime by replying. See our privacy policy.
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.