Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Kaiser Permanente Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan
Oakland, CAHealth Care & Social Assistance79,909 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$900Employer $ per active participant
$10,114Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$13.8BNet plan assets, end of year
$132,211Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity17.1 / 5034th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.6 / 2579th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving15.0 / 15100th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score52 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 10,000+ active participants (115 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 34th |
| Lower admin cost | 79th |
| Employee saving | 100th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 52% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $103,283 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan put in about $900 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,086). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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.
- 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 | $71,900,067 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $808,193,831 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $62,200,746 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $4,973,112 |
| Other admin expenses | $4,973,112 |
| Benefits paid out | $983,055,477 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $12.3B / $13.8B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 79,670 / 80,148 |
| Participants with account balances | 104,754 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $3,959,711 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $1,309,001 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | $39,076 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250901135013NAL0027602178001, received 2025-09-01, EIN 94-1340523, plan #039, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.