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Top 25 List Third-party Benefit AdministratorsMinnesota administrators ranked by total enrollment in group accounts Research by Tom Smith
Business Journal
Rank2011rank Name/Address/Phone
Total enrollment1
<100
100-499500-2,000
>2,000
Groupaccounts
Employees2 Plans and services offered3
Top MN executive Executive e-mail Website
1 3Benesyst Inc. 800 Washington Ave. N., Eighth floor Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 746-3112
483,00013% 40%
26% 21%
230 92
Online benefits enrollment and eligibility manage-ment; employee self-serve; wellness reward programs, FSA, pre-tax commuter, HRA, COBRA
Rob [email protected] benesyst.net
2 1Ascensus4 124 Eighth Ave. N.E. Brainerd, MN 56401 (218) 855-6000
416,77396% 3%
1% 0%
16,100 440
401(k), ERISA 403(b), profit sharing, DC pension plans, eligibility tracking, auto enrollment and deferral increase, targeted communications
Steve Christenson [email protected] ascensus.com
3 4Outsource One Inc. 730 Second Ave. S., Suite 530 Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 338-7940
352,0003%
27%45% 25%
167 60
Online benefits administration, enrollment, consolidated billing, COBRA/retiree, FSA/HRA/HSA/transit and debit cards, call center
William [email protected] outsourceone.com
4 5Alerus Retirement Solutions5 2 Pine Tree Drive Arden Hills, MN 55112 (651) 746-6088
155,55682% 15%
2% 1%
2,171 94
401(k), profit sharing, money purchase, ESOP, 403(b), nonqualified, compliance, administration, prototype documents, participant education
Laura Tiemann [email protected] alerusretirementsolutions.com
5 9Alliance Benefit Group6
201 E. Clark St. Albert Lea, MN 56007 (507) 377-2919
127,50066% 32%
1% 1%
2,198 110
401(k), 403(b), pension, profit sharing, ESOP, FSA, HSA, HRA, COBRA, health, disability, dental, vision, employee education, payroll
Steven Pulley [email protected] abgncs.com
6 6Comprehensive Care Services Inc.7 1750 Yankee Doodle Road Eagan, MN 55121 (651) 662-5425
121,698NPNP
NPNP
166 93
Health and pharmacy products, CDHP, PPO, scal-able health and wellness programs, remote claims processing, stop loss, COBRA, life
Christine [email protected] ccstpa.com
7 7MMSI Inc. 4001 41st St. N.W. Rochester, MN 55901 (507) 538-5039
106,0006%
34%10% 50%
32 200
CDHP administration; pharmacy-benefit, disease, case and utilization management; comprehensive health-plan reporting and strategic analysis
Brian Rotty [email protected] mmsiservices.com
8 11
PreferredOne Administrative Services8 6105 Golden Hills Drive Golden Valley, MN 55416 (763) 847-4000
71,57827% 53%
16% 4%
135 310
Open access HMO, group and individual insur-ance products; HSA/HRA consumer-driven high-deductible medical plans; PPO
Marcus Merz [email protected] preferredone.com
9 12Eide Bailly Employee Benefits9 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1300 Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 253-6500
66,00066% 21%
10% 3%
150 30
Flexible spending, HRA, HSA, COBRA, retiree-billing and transit-plan administration
Linda Heuer [email protected] eidebaillybenefits.com
10 13TSC 7300 Metro Blvd., Suite 450 Edina, MN 55439 (952) 806-4300
61,26891% 8%
1% 0%
1,546 45
401(k), profit sharing, 403(b), 457, prevailing wage, defined benefit, ESOP
Gary Zurek [email protected] tsc401k.com
11 10Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Co. 2501 Wayzata Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55405 (612) 377-4404
60,00090% 8%
2% 0%
750 130
Third-party administration, actuarial services and plan design
Beth Leonard [email protected] lblco.com
11 13Zenith American Solutions Inc.10 2520 Pilot Knob Road, Suite 325 Mendota Heights, MN 55120 (651) 256-1900
60,0000%
40%40% 20%
32 45
FSAs, HRAs, HSAs, health and welfare claims, dental claims, disability claims, case management and utilization review, pension administration
Darrin Drosky [email protected] zenith-american.com
13 15Benefit Extras Inc. P.O. Box 1815 Burnsville, MN 55337 (952) 435-6858
39,20890% 8%
1% 1%
741 9
Flex and cafeteria administration, COBRA admin-istration, consolidated billing services, employee benefit statements
Chris Erickson [email protected] benefitextras.com
14 16Midwest Dental Benefits 1335 Industrial Blvd., Suite 100 Minneapolis, MN 55413 (612) 767-9100
35,00060% 35%
3% 2%
130 9
Self-funded dental and vision benefits; procedure, dollar-based and hybrid plans; open-access model
Debi Loder [email protected] mdbtpa.com
15 17Corporate Health Systems 5153 Technology Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 (952) 939-0911
21,71555% 35%
10% 0%
143 30
Insurance, consulting, enrollment, consolidated billing, employee communication, COBRA, flexible spending and transportation, HSA, VEBA plans
Robert Hanlon [email protected] corphealthsys.com
16 18Flex Compensation Inc. 5775 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 690 St. Louis Park, MN 55416 (952) 544-8332
20,20060%20%
15% 5%
82 20
Administrative services for FSA, HRA, HSA, COBRA, retiree billing and self-insured medical and dental plans
Gary Bohline [email protected] flexcompensation.com
17 NR401kadm.com / JV Associates Ltd. P.O. Box 520 Hutchinson, MN 55350 (320) 234-6274
20,00098% 1%
0% 1%
302 4
Retirement plan design and administration, valua-tion, testing, IRS and DOL filings, retirement-plan compliance support
Vern Vliet [email protected] 401kadm.com
18 19CDS Administrative Services 331 Third St. S.W., Suite 2 Willmar, MN 56201 (320) 235-3311
8,47094% 6%
0% 0%
385 7
Design and administration of 401(k), flexible-benefits and HRA plans; HSA administration
Valerie Amberg [email protected] cdscpa.com
FootnotesAbbreviations:CDHP = Consumer-directed health plansCOBRA = Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation ActDC = Defined contributionDOL = U.S. Department of LaborERISA = Employee Retirement Income Security ActESOP = Employee stock ownership planFSA = Flexible spending account
HMO = Health maintenance organizationHRA = Health reimbursement arrangementHSA = Health savings accountIRS = Internal Revenue ServiceNP = Not providedNR = Not rankedPPO = Preferred provider organizationVEBA = Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association
Footnotes:1. Total participant, subscriber or employee enrollment in group accounts in 20112. In Minnesota3. Edited to fit4. Headquarters: Dresher, Pa.5. Headquarters: Grand Forks, N.D.6. Full name is Alliance Benefit Group North Central States Inc.7. Owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. Ranking figure is “contracts:” An enrollee in multiple products counts only once. Member head count on Dec. 31, 2011, was 267,736.8. Owned by Fairview Health Services, North Memorial Health Care and PreferredOne Physicians Associates 9. Headquarters: Fargo, N.D.10. Headquarters: Tampa, Fla.
Notes:— Businesses headquartered in Minnesota reported total enrollment and number of group accounts for all operations. Businesses headquartered outside the state provided these numbers for Minnesota operations only.— Meritain Health, No. 2 on last year’s list, removed itself from this category; SOMI, No. 8 last year, declined to participate this year.
Source: Company representatives
Mehus
Walch
Amberg
Heuer
Vliet
This article appeared in Volume 30, Number 3 of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal on June 15, 2012, page 6. It has been reprinted by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and further reproduction by any other party is strictly prohibited. Copyright ©2012 Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 333 South 7th Street, Suite 350, Minneapolis, MN 55402