Welcome to the SPBA website!

SPBA is the national association of Third Party Administration (TPA) firms who provide comprehensive ongoing administrative services to client employee benefit plans. SPBA also has a Stop-Loss Service Partner category for carriers, MGUs, and re-insurers of self-funded health plans. (read more)

About SPBA & Industry Trends

Welcome to the SPBA Website

About TPAs

What Happens When an Employer Makes the Switch to Self-Funding

The list below was requested by a magazine to help employers to prepare them for what to expect when starting the process of shifting to a self-funded health plan with a TPA. Every situation is personalized, but these are main points to expect.

Industry Forecasts & Trends

Goofy Views On Benefits, ERISA, Fiduciary, TPAs & ASO

RE: Wall Street Journal Weekend Investor, Jan. 7th, 2012 - "When Insurance Fails"

Health Reform Trends & Impacts

The Number of "Uninsured": Past and Future

For decades, there were lots of numbers being thrown around about how many "uninsured" there were, so I avoid numbers, but 45 million was about the highest. The "inconvenient truth" of the tabulation of the "uninsured" was that by the time you sifted through the various reasons people were uninsured, about 75%...

More from Health Reform Trends & Impacts

ERISA & Fiduciary

Admin Fees + "Leftover" Money + Premium Tax Implications for Self-funded vs Insured Plans

Below is an explanation provided to a government researcher who asked how leftover money (not used for medical claims) is used in self-funded plans with a TPA versus an insurance company. Also, what is the role of state premium taxes on self-funded versus fully-insured plans. (The answer was written by SPBA Active Past President Fred...

MEWAs

A Wishful Thinking MEWA Mindset

Some observations from SPBA President Fred Hunt Important preface & background: Let me say that I and many people recognize that careful well-run self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Benefit Plans (MEWAs) would help the country greatly in providing cost-effective health coverage for businesses and minimizing the number of uninsured...

No issue is so fraught with wishful-thinking errors.

Advice on Issues

Self-Funding: Why Use Self-Funding?

Why use self-funding? Clarification: Self-funding is best known as a funding vehicle for employee benefit plans, especially health coverage. That is the topic of this paper. However, self-funding is also broadly used for such things as Workers Compensation and Property & Casualty coverage. The governing laws &...

A personal candid explanation from SPBA Active Past President Fred Hunt

Stop-Loss

Standard Stop Loss Disclosure Form

Instructions for Completing the Attached Disclosure Form

Industry Study Group Approved Document - July 2005

State Licensing

State Requirements for Third Party Administrators

Please fill out this questionnaire and click Submit to send it. Questions? Call Elizabeth at (301) 718-7722