How many 2025 employer health plan filings are in, and what do they show?
Updated includes the first 34,505 filings for plan year 2025, received by the DOL through September 24, 2026
The Department of Labor had received 34,505 plan year 2025 Form 5500 filings from employer health plans with 100 or more participants through September 24, 2026, about 59% of the 58,547 that filed for 2024. Those filings report $16B in insurance premiums and $4.2B in broker commissions and fees; on the 31,520 employers that have filed both years, broker pay is up 3.4% from 2024. The median commission on fully insured medical plans so far is 3.5% of premium (2,482 plans), against 3.8% for the complete 2024 year. Calendar-year plans were due July 31, 2026, or October 15 with an extension; the DOL refreshes the file monthly and this page updates with it.
| Employer size (participants) | 2025 median rate so far | 2024 median rate | 2025 plans rated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100-199 | 4.0% | 4.2% | 1,146 |
| 200-499 | 3.4% | 3.6% | 967 |
| 500-999 | 3.0% | 2.7% | 234 |
| 1,000-4,999 | 2.0% | 2.0% | 111 |
| 5,000+ | 4.9% | 4.8% | 24 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 and Schedule A, plan year 2025 (the first 34,505 filings for plan year 2025, received by the DOL through September 24, 2026); data built October 24, 2026. Employer health plans with 100 or more participants. Full methodology.
Why is the 2025 count lower than 2024?
Because the year is still arriving. Large plans file seven months after the plan year ends (July 31, 2026 for calendar-year plans) or two and a half months later with an extension, and the DOL publishes received filings monthly. The 2024 figures on this site use the complete year; 2025 figures are labelled as partial until the file stops growing.
Are the partial-year medians comparable?
Not exactly. Early filers skew toward employers with simpler plans and no extension, so a partial-year median can move as the rest arrive. Year-over-year changes here are computed only on employers that have filed both years, which removes most of that bias.
When does this page update?
Monthly, when the DOL refreshes its 'Latest' files (around the first of each month) and BenefitsLedger rebuilds. The date in the first sentence is the newest filing received in the file used.