Pennsylvania employer health plans: what they cost and who gets paid
Updated plan year 2024, the most recent complete year
2,599 Pennsylvania employers filed health plans with 100 or more participants for plan year 2024, covering 3,310,391 participants. They reported $1.8B in insurance premiums and $251M in broker commissions and fees. The median broker rate on commission-paying, fully insured medical plans was 4.4% of premium, 0.7 points above 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 Pennsylvania
Every Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 292 | $529M |
| Pittsburgh | 255 | $60M |
| Harrisburg | 59 | $11M |
| Lancaster | 57 | $3.1M |
| York | 49 | $3.0M |
| King Of Prussia | 46 | $43M |
| Malvern | 41 | $38M |
| Allentown | 40 | $11M |
| Erie | 40 | $722,547 |
| Reading | 36 | $3.7M |
| Bethlehem | 30 | $8.0M |
| Wayne | 30 | $73M |
| Conshohocken | 28 | $42M |
| Fort Washington | 25 | $14M |
| Canonsburg | 24 | $1.0M |
| West Chester | 23 | $75M |
| Exton | 22 | $44M |
| Mechanicsburg | 22 | $4.1M |
| Wilkes Barre | 19 | $4.3M |
| Greensburg | 18 | $9.1M |
| Blue Bell | 17 | $28M |
| Camp Hill | 17 | $2.2M |
| Cranberry Township | 17 | $148,562 |
| Horsham | 17 | $14M |
| Newtown Square | 17 | $17M |
| Hanover | 15 | $168,355 |
| Lititz | 15 | $142,182 |
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 Pennsylvania employers pay health insurance brokers?
Across 216 fully insured medical plans in plan year 2024, among commission-paying fully insured medical plans, the median broker compensation for Pennsylvania employers was 4.4% of premium (middle half 3.0% to 5.4%), against a national median of 3.8%. In dollars, the median employer that disclosed broker pay reported $57,332.
Which Pennsylvania employers paid the most in broker commissions?
Thomas Jefferson University reported the most in 2024, $4,027,305, followed by Ricoh USA, Inc. ($3.1M) and Geisinger System Services ($2.5M).
Which brokers and carriers dominate Pennsylvania?
By reported compensation, the largest brokers are Marsh McLennan Agency, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson. By medical premium, the largest carriers are Independence Blue Cross, Independence Administrators, Keystone Health Plan East.
Which Pennsylvania cities have the most employer health plans?
Philadelphia (292 employer plans, $529M in premiums); Pittsburgh (255 employer plans, $60M in premiums); Harrisburg (59 employer plans, $11M in premiums); Lancaster (57 employer plans, $3.1M in premiums); York (49 employer plans, $3.0M in premiums). 27 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania medians.
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