Massachusetts employer health plans: what they cost and who gets paid
Updated plan year 2024, the most recent complete year
1,864 Massachusetts employers filed health plans with 100 or more participants for plan year 2024, covering 2,075,366 participants. They reported $3.3B in insurance premiums and $231M in broker commissions and fees. The median broker rate on commission-paying, fully insured medical plans was 2.5% of premium, 1.2 points below the national median of 3.8%.
Largest brokers
Reported commissions and fees, with the number of employer plans naming each.
Largest medical carriers
Medical premium written.
Cities in Massachusetts
Every Massachusetts city where 15 or more employers filed a health plan, by the sponsor's mailing address. Each page lists the city's largest plans, brokers and carriers.
| City | Employer plans | Premiums |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | 423 | $1.1B |
| Waltham | 80 | $235M |
| Cambridge | 79 | $245M |
| Burlington | 55 | $84M |
| Worcester | 41 | $31M |
| Newton | 35 | $111M |
| Springfield | 29 | $9.8M |
| Framingham | 28 | $46M |
| Woburn | 27 | $35M |
| Andover | 26 | $93M |
| Quincy | 25 | $50M |
| Bedford | 23 | $9.8M |
| Canton | 23 | $30M |
| Marlborough | 22 | $44M |
| Braintree | 21 | $19M |
| Wilmington | 20 | $39M |
| Needham | 18 | $25M |
| Somerville | 18 | $43M |
| Billerica | 17 | $18M |
| Lexington | 17 | $44M |
| Wakefield | 17 | $27M |
| Watertown | 17 | $49M |
| Westborough | 17 | $3.8M |
| Fall River | 16 | $7.6M |
| Norwood | 16 | $22M |
| Lawrence | 15 | $23M |
Largest employer plans
By health plan participants.
Highest broker pay
Employers reporting the most broker commissions and fees.
Highest commission rates
Fully insured medical plans with at least $500,000 in premium, ranked by broker compensation as a share of premium.
Source: DOL Form 5500 and Schedule A, plan year 2024; built October 24, 2026. Methodology.
What do Massachusetts employers pay health insurance brokers?
Across 534 fully insured medical plans in plan year 2024, among commission-paying fully insured medical plans, the median broker compensation for Massachusetts employers was 2.5% of premium (middle half 2.0% to 3.2%), against a national median of 3.8%. In dollars, the median employer that disclosed broker pay reported $75,078.
Which Massachusetts employers paid the most in broker commissions?
Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc. reported the most in 2024, $6,681,552, followed by President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi ($2.3M) and The TJX Companies, Inc. ($1.6M).
Which brokers and carriers dominate Massachusetts?
By reported compensation, the largest brokers are Brown & Brown, Marsh McLennan Agency, Gallagher. By medical premium, the largest carriers are Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc., Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Health New England, Inc..
Which Massachusetts cities have the most employer health plans?
Boston (423 employer plans, $1.1B in premiums); Waltham (80 employer plans, $235M in premiums); Cambridge (79 employer plans, $245M in premiums); Burlington (55 employer plans, $84M in premiums); Worcester (41 employer plans, $31M in premiums). 26 Massachusetts cities with 15 or more employer plans have their own page listing the largest plans, brokers and carriers.
Is your company on this page? Get its Form 5500 read next to the Massachusetts medians.
Tell us the company and a specialist writes up what the public Form 5500 record shows for it, if it files one: broker pay against the medians above, fee disclosure and filing timeliness, 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.