Zoological Society of Philadelphia
Updated Filing received by DOL
Zoological Society of Philadelphia, an arts & entertainment employer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reported 174 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2025. Its Form 5500 shows $2.9M in insurance premiums across 7 contracts and $193,669 in broker commissions and fees, 5.5% of medical premium against a national median of 3.8% among plans that paid commissions in plan year 2024. The plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. The Department of Labor received the filing on July 27, 2026, before the deadline.
Who was paid on Zoological Society of Philadelphia's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Zoological Society of Philadelphia filed for 2025.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marsh McLennan Agency · Conshohocken, PA | $189,483 | $4,186 | $193,669 | 5 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, Part I (broker commissions and fees), plan year 2025, as published in EBSA's 2025 "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Blue Crosshealth, prescription drug, PPO | 118 | $2.0M | $108,321 | 5.4% |
| Keystone Health Plan Easthealth, prescription drug | 69 | $881,497 | $50,672 | 5.7% |
| Independence Blue Crossvision | 118 | $15,781 | $46 | 0.3% |
| Penn Behavioral Healthcoverage not coded | 200 | — | — | — |
| United Concordia Insurance Companydental | 196 | — | $11,382 | — |
| Hartford Life and Accidentlife, short-term disability, long-term disability | 189 | — | $23,248 | — |
| Amerihealth Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, plan year 2025. Self-funded medical coverage has no premium; amounts shown for it are stop-loss or administrative contracts.
How Zoological Society of Philadelphia 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.
Premium per covered person on medical contracts: $15,528 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
| 2024 | 2025 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 173 | 174 | +0.6% |
| Premiums filed | $2,936,281 | $2,919,592 | −0.6% |
| Broker commissions + fees | $151,625 | $193,669 | +27.7% |
| Commission rate | 3.8% | 5.5% | +1.7 pts |
Source: DOL Form 5500 filings for plan years 2024 and 2025.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Zoo Group Health and Welfare Plan#501 · insurance, general assets | December 31, 2025 | July 27, 2026 | before deadline | 174 |
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 Zoological Society of Philadelphia pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2025?
Zoological Society of Philadelphia's 2025 Form 5500 reports $193,669 in broker commissions and fees across 7 insurance contracts ($189,483 in commissions, $4,186 in fees), with Marsh McLennan Agency receiving the largest share.
Is Zoological Society of Philadelphia's health plan self-funded or fully insured?
The 2025 filing indicates the plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. Medical coverage is written by Independence Blue Cross, Keystone Health Plan East.
How does Zoological Society of Philadelphia's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
Zoological Society of Philadelphia paid 5.5% of medical premium in commissions and fees. The median for employers with 100-199 participants is 4.2%, and the median in Pennsylvania is 4.4%. Percentages are computed only on fully insured medical contracts with filed premiums.
Send the full findings to your inbox.
A specialist writes up every finding for Zoological Society of Philadelphia 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.