Wisconsin employer health plans: what they cost and who gets paid
Updated plan year 2024, the most recent complete year
1,402 Wisconsin employers filed health plans with 100 or more participants for plan year 2024, covering 1,515,209 participants. They reported $377M in insurance premiums and $106M in broker commissions and fees. The median broker rate on commission-paying, fully insured medical plans was 2.1% of premium, 1.6 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 Wisconsin
Every Wisconsin 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 203 | $159M |
| Madison | 125 | $29M |
| Green Bay | 70 | $9.1M |
| Appleton | 41 | $1.5M |
| Waukesha | 39 | $2.8M |
| Brookfield | 31 | $854,575 |
| Eau Claire | 24 | $3.9M |
| Neenah | 24 | $761,784 |
| Middleton | 23 | $601,260 |
| Oshkosh | 23 | $595,296 |
| Wausau | 23 | $6.1M |
| La Crosse | 19 | $10M |
| New Berlin | 19 | $1.7M |
| De Pere | 17 | $1.1M |
| Menomonee Falls | 17 | $2.1M |
| Janesville | 15 | $3.1M |
| Sheboygan | 15 | $2.3M |
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 Wisconsin employers pay health insurance brokers?
Across 38 fully insured medical plans in plan year 2024, among commission-paying fully insured medical plans, the median broker compensation for Wisconsin employers was 2.1% of premium (middle half 1.6% to 3.1%), against a national median of 3.8%. In dollars, the median employer that disclosed broker pay reported $42,793.
Which Wisconsin employers paid the most in broker commissions?
Johnson Controls, Inc. reported the most in 2024, $2,545,498, followed by Exact Sciences Corporation ($1.9M) and Advocate Aurora Health, Inc. ($1.3M).
Which brokers and carriers dominate Wisconsin?
By reported compensation, the largest brokers are Willis Towers Watson, Gallagher, Mercer. By medical premium, the largest carriers are Bluecross Blueshield of Illinois, Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc., Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation.
Which Wisconsin cities have the most employer health plans?
Milwaukee (203 employer plans, $159M in premiums); Madison (125 employer plans, $29M in premiums); Green Bay (70 employer plans, $9.1M in premiums); Appleton (41 employer plans, $1.5M in premiums); Waukesha (39 employer plans, $2.8M in premiums). 17 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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.