> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.benefitflow.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Data Source: 5500 Overview

## 🔍 What’s Included on Form 5500—and What BenefitFlow Adds

The **Form 5500** is a public government filing required by most employers that offer benefit plans. It’s useful—but limited.

Below is a breakdown of what’s available on the 5500, what’s missing, and how **BenefitFlow fills in the gaps** with deeper, actionable insights.

### What You’ll Find on Form 5500

* **Employer (Plan Sponsor) Info**
  * Company name, EIN, address
* **Plan Details**
  * Plan type (health, dental, life, disability, etc.)
  * Plan year / renewal dates
* **Participant Counts**
  * Total participants (active + inactive)
* **Some Service Providers**
  * Brokers, carriers, TPAs (if disclosed)
* **Carrier Premiums & Broker Commissions**
  * Occasionally available through Schedule A filings

<Callout icon="thumbtack">
  BenefitFlow pulls and consolidates this data at the employer level for easier filtering and searchability.
</Callout>

### ❌ What Form 5500 Doesn’t Include

* Voluntary benefits (pet, legal, EAP, wellness, etc.)
* Vendor names (unless filed—often they’re not)
* Broker contact details or producer roles
* Broker **office-level** assignments
* Employee satisfaction or feedback on benefit offerings
* Smaller employers (\<100 lives)— aren’t required to file
* Real-time data—filings are on an annual basis
* Funding Classifications (Self Funded vs. Fully-Insured)

### 🚀 What BenefitFlow Adds On Top

BenefitFlow is built to **go beyond the 5500** using a combination of AI, proprietary tech, and verified data sources.

Here’s what you’ll get:

## 🔹 Employer Intelligence (Beyond 5500)

* Unified employer profiles across all benefit plans
* Voluntary & wellness vendor usage (even if not filed)
* Renewal date tracking
* Self-funded vs. fully insured status

## 🔹 Broker & Producer Insights

* Full client lists by brokerage office location
* Verified producer & account manager contacts
* Licensing + carrier appointment details
* Proprietary broker-office mapping (more accurate than Schedule A)

## 🔹 Real-Time Employee Sentiment

* Employee feedback on benefits (health, wellness, etc.)
* Signals of dissatisfaction, vendor changes, or unmet needs
* Filter by benefit type, vendor, or sentiment score