Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan
Phoenix, AZFinance & Insurance3,260 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$7,764Employer $ per active participant
$8,200Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$516.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$132,578Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.2 / 5080th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.3 / 2581th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.0 / 1546th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score78 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (199 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 80th |
| Lower admin cost | 81th |
| Employee saving | 46th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 66% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona put in about $7,764 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($4,489). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $25,308,271 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $26,728,669 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $7,335,367 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $213,711 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Benefits paid out | $50,899,613 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $445.9M / $516.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,214 / 3,305 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,899 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $213,711 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250930123913NAL0005492835001, received 2025-09-30, EIN 86-0004538, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.