Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City 401(k) Review & Grade
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City 401(k) Plan
Kansas City, MOFinance & Insurance1,430 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$8,485Employer $ per active participant
$10,120Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$282.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$152,222Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.6 / 5089th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.8 / 2571th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.4 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score81 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 89th |
| Lower admin cost | 71th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $193 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City put in about $8,485 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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 | $12,129,836 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $14,466,006 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,762,438 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $297,582 |
| Contract administrator fees | $3,600 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $174,524 |
| Benefits paid out | $34,482,047 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $251.0M / $282.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,532 / 1,327 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,855 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Financial Engines | $174,524 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $123,058 reported compensation |
| Ss&c | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013082423NAL0000844305001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 43-1257251, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.