The Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA) is dedicated to helping members reach their full potential by providing information and insights related to existing and proposed legislation, regulations, and guidance affecting employee benefit plan administration.
A Brief History of SPBA
A Brief History of SPBA
On October 9th, 1975, a meeting was held at the O'Hare Hilton in Chicago in order to discuss the formation of an association solely for independent Third Party Administrators. There had been previous discussions and previous coalitions on special issues. However, this meeting was to create a permanent ongoing organization for TPAs. SPBA's first name was the American Society of Professional Administrators. However, since that ASPA acronym was too close to that of the pension actuaries, the SPBA name was chosen in 1977.
SPBA Dues Structure for 2025
SPBA Dues Structure for 2025
SPBA is a trade association, and thus memberships are held in the name of the TPA firm. However, SPBA is a very active network of professionals in those firms who share, and play an active role in finding information and shaping national policy. Also, SPBA plays much more of a direct immediate service role for members than most associations. We get about 200 calls or e-mails per week from our members to solve, research or brainstorm immediate situations on which they need insight or guidance.
SPBA Member Benefits
SPBA Member Benefits
SPBA is a special community offering an ongoing exchange of business strategies, government compliance insights, as well as political and industry trends impacting employee benefits. By focusing on the real-world impact of government rules, SPBA has become a leading voice for employee benefits and a major behind-the- scenes sounding board for government policymakers.
SPBA Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
SPBA Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
The SPBA Board of Directors ("the Board") is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful organization and culture. To accomplish this goal, the Board prohibits all forms of harassment and discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Incidents of harassment and discrimination brought to the attention of the Board will be met with appropriate disciplinary action.
Welcome to the SPBA Website
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.
Deciding if a firm is eligible to join SPBA and if it would be a worthwhile investment for you
Deciding if a firm is eligible to join SPBA and if it would be a worthwhile investment for you
SPBA was formed for the very narrow purpose of representing only TPAs. SPBA recognizes that there are many excellent broad benefits associations, so we do not try to duplicate that good work. We're specialists to help TPAs, and we focus mainly on the nitty-gritty minutia of regulatory requirements and interpretations.
Outsourcing & Offshore Considerations
Outsourcing & Offshore Considerations
We get occasional waves of calls from entities interested in seeing the TPA industry outsource, usually off-shore, what are variously called "mundane" or "clerical" or "routine" claims, data entry and/or other duties. This seems to be one of those instances where business school theory and reality collide. From the business school economic perspective, it looks like an obvious solution & improvement. HOWEVER, this demonstrates how unique the TPA business and the service provided by TPAs is.