What The Difference Card does

The Difference Card (legal entity EB Employee Solutions, LLC) is a US third-party administrator that specializes in Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans (MERP) and complementary benefit administration services for employers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Mount Kisco, New York, the company administers IRS Section 105-compliant reimbursement arrangements, Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), Dependent Care Accounts, Lifestyle Spending Accounts, Commuter & Transit Accounts, and Dental Difference, alongside a Healthy Difference Wellness platform. Its technology stack centers on the proprietary Difference Benefits Admin System (online enrollment and COBRA administration), the PLUM (Provider Lookup Manager) provider cost-and-quality lookup tool, a member-facing mobile application, and a wellness platform. The Difference Guarantee is insured by an A-rated division of Assurant, transferring employer claim exposure and underwriting the company's promised savings.

The company's product is positioned as overlay infrastructure rather than an insurance product: it integrates with carriers such as Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Highmark, Medical Mutual, ConnectiCare, and others so employers can retain their existing medical carriers while reducing net healthcare spend. The firm reports an average 18% reduction in employer health insurance costs, over $2,000 in average annual net savings per employee, a 90% client retention rate, 99% of claims processed within two business days, and a 35-second average member services wait time. Aggregate client savings of approximately $2.13 billion have been delivered since founding.

Revenue is generated through managed-services and professional-services fees charged to employers for administering benefit plans, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is exclusively indirect: the company sells through a network of insurance brokers and producers that includes Marsh McLennan Agency, Gallagher, HUB International, NFP, USI, Brown & Brown, Acrisure, Alliant, and Assured Partners, supplemented by enterprise direct sales and inside sales for mid-market employers. In 2025, producers reportedly won 345 new broker of record accounts generating $12.4 million in new revenue for partner agencies, indicating the channel is actively contributing new client flow. The company is privately held, owned by Stone Point Capital since July 2025 following a sale by Northlane Capital Partners, with a 2026 expansion of its Revenue Management Team across the Southeast and West US markets and a former UnitedHealthcare executive, Bill Golden, appointed to the board in October 2025.

Name

The Difference Card

Legal name

EB Employee Solutions, LLC

Website

https://differencecard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Difference Card is a US third-party administrator that provides Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans (MERP), HSA/FSA/HRA administration, and benefit administration services to employers, distributed exclusively through insurance broker and producer partners, with reported average employer healthcare cost reductions of 18%.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Administration

NAICS

Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Health and Welfare Funds (525120)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Funded Employer Plan TPA (ASO Administration) (HLAEALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Flexible Benefits Administration (FSA/HSA/HRA) (HLAEALAK), Compliance, Reporting & Regulatory Administration (ERISA/ACA/No Surprises) (HLAEALAJ), Ancillary Benefits TPA (Dental/Vision/Life/Accident/Critical Illness) (HLAEALAN)

Keywords

• Health benefit administration
• Medical expense reimbursement
• Third-party administrator
• Employer health benefits
• Healthcare cost containment

Headquarters

HQ city

White Plains

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Third-Party Administration (TPA) Services: The Difference Card acts as a third-party administrator for employer health benefit plans, managing Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans (MERP), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), and other benefit administration services. Revenue is generated through administrative fees charged to employers for managing and processing their benefit programs.
2. Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP): The core product offering that reimburses employees for qualified medical expenses. Employers set reimbursement budgets and pay only for submitted claims rather than fixed premiums. This creates cost savings for employers while providing tax-free benefits to employees.
3. Benefit Administration Services: Additional services including Dental Difference, Commuter & Transit Accounts, Compliance Services, and Lifestyle Spending Account administration, generating revenue through service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Difference Card is a third-party administrator (TPA) that delivers Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans (MERP) and complementary benefit administration services to employers, working alongside their existing health insurance carriers to reduce health insurance costs by an average of 18% while maintaining or improving employee benefits. The company processes reimbursements for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses and also administers HSAs, FSAs, HRAs, Dependent Care Accounts, Commuter Accounts, and related benefit programs, supported by proprietary tools such as PLUM (Provider Lookup Manager), the Difference Benefits Admin System, and a mobile app.

Product overview

The Difference Card offers a unified healthcare benefits platform centered on Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans (MERP) that help employers reduce health insurance costs by an average of 18%. The platform includes a core MERP product complemented by The Difference Guarantee for financial protection, PLUM for provider cost-quality transparency, and Healthy Difference Wellness for employee wellness programs. The company also provides a comprehensive suite of benefit administration services including HSA, FSA, Dependent Care Accounts, HRA, Lifestyle Spending Account, Dental Difference, and Commuter & Transit Accounts, all administered through the Difference Benefits Admin System. Compliance Services round out the offering to ensure ERISA and ACA compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dental Difference: A dental solution that addresses the problem of high fixed premiums for employers.
• Healthy Difference Wellness
• PLUM (Provider Lookup Manager)

Products and services

• Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP) An IRS-approved employer-sponsored health plan that reimburses employees for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses, layered alongside high-deductible health plans to lower employer healthcare costs by an average of 18%.
• The Difference Guarantee A risk-transfer product that caps employer claim exposure and guarantees savings on healthcare spend, with backing from an A-rated division of Assurant.
• PLUM - Provider Lookup Manager A member-facing cost and quality transparency tool that searches an unbiased provider database to help employees identify high-quality, lower-cost healthcare providers in their area.
• Healthy Difference Wellness An incentive-based wellness platform providing tools and resources across physical, emotional, spiritual, occupational, social, and intellectual well-being to encourage healthy behaviors and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) A tax-advantaged savings account offering triple tax benefits and premier investment options for employees, available when paired with a qualifying high-deductible health plan.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) An employer-funded pre-tax account that lets members pay qualified healthcare expenses with pre-tax dollars, generating tax savings.
• Dependent Care Accounts A pre-tax account that allows employees to set aside funds for qualified dependent care expenses such as daycare, preschool, and elder care.
• Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) An employer-funded account that provides members with access to a fixed annual amount to pay for healthcare expenses, with options for integrated or individual coverage.
• Difference Benefits Admin System A benefits administration platform that provides employers with online enrollment services and COBRA administration.
• Lifestyle Spending Account An employer-funded account that provides employees with funds for lifestyle-related expenses beyond traditional healthcare, such as gym memberships, wellness services, and educational resources.
• Dental Difference A dental benefits solution designed to address high fixed premiums, integrated with the MERP to provide flexible dental coverage options.
• Commuter & Transit Accounts A pre-tax savings solution that lets employees fund public transit, ride-sharing, and parking expenses for commuting.
• Compliance Services A regulatory compliance offering that provides ERISA-compliant plan documents, premium-only plans, summary plan descriptions, wrap documents, and non-discrimination testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce health insurance costs by 18% on average without reducing benefits
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bill GoldencoreOthers · 29 October 2025Bill Golden, a former healthcare executive from UnitedHealthcare, was appointed to The Difference Card's board of directors. His appointment is part of the company's strategy to enhance growth and healthcare solutions offering, bringing industry expertise from the healthcare insurance sector.
• Kroll (Duff & Phelps)minorOthers · 1 July 2025Kroll's Duff & Phelps business served as advisor to The Difference Card on its sale to Northlane Capital Partners, providing M&A transaction advisory services.
• Insurance Carriers (Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, etc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Difference Card integrates with major health insurance carriers to work alongside their plans. The company maintains integrations with Aetna, Angle Health, Anthem, Cigna, Connecticare, EBS, Edison, Highmark, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Medical Mutual, Point32Health, Quartz, SIHO, and United Healthcare among others. Employers can keep their current insurance carrier while using The Difference Card's MERP solution.
• WebFXminorOthersWebFX, a Harrisburg, PA-based company, is credited for SEO, web design, and web development services for The Difference Card's website.
• Producer PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Difference Card has an exclusive distribution strategy through a network of insurance producer/broker partners. Key partners include: Marsh McLennan Agency, Gallagher, HUB International, NFP, USI, Brown & Brown, Acrisure, Alliant, Assured Partners, Conner Strong & Buckelew, CRC Benefits, Ertel & Company, Foundation Risk Partners, Highstreet The DJB Group, NAVA, and 1st Source. These producers distribute The Difference Card products to their employer clients.
• Assurant (The Difference Guarantee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Difference Guarantee is insured by an A-rated division of Assurant. This partnership enables The Difference Card to offer financial protection to clients by limiting their claim exposure and transferring risk to Assurant.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Maestro Health: Maestro Health is a benefits administration firm offering self-funded plan management, MERP-style reimbursement arrangements, and integrated benefit technology. It competes head-to-head with The Difference Card in the employer cost-containment TPA space.
• Ameriflex: Ameriflex is a TPA specializing in FSA, HSA, HRA, dependent care, commuter benefits, and COBRA administration for employers. Its product mix and TPA model closely mirror The Difference Card's benefit administration arm.
• OneBridge Benefits: OneBridge Benefits is a TPA and benefits administration firm offering reimbursement accounts, consumer-driven health plans, and Section 125/105 plan designs. It is a direct functional peer in the employer benefit cost-containment segment.
• P&A Group: P&A Group is a benefits administration firm offering COBRA, FSA, HSA, HRA, and reimbursement account services to employers and brokers. It is a direct functional peer in the TPA market where The Difference Card competes.
• TASC (Total Administrative Services Corporation): TASC provides third-party administration for FSA, HSA, HRA, COBRA, commuter, and reimbursement account services to employers. It is a comparable TPA focused on tax-advantaged benefit accounts and cost-containment offerings similar to The Difference Card's benefit administration suite.
• HealthEquity: HealthEquity is a leading HSA custodian and benefits administrator serving employers and health plans. It overlaps with The Difference Card's HSA, FSA, HRA, and consumer-driven health plan administration offerings at greater scale.
• WEX Health: WEX Health provides HSA, FSA, HRA, COBRA, and consumer-driven benefit account technology and administration for employers and TPAs. Its cloud-based platform and account administration services overlap significantly with The Difference Card's benefit administration arm.
• Flores & Associates: Flores & Associates is a TPA focused on consumer-driven health plans, reimbursement accounts, and Section 105 plan administration for employers. It offers an overlapping product set, particularly on the MERP/employer reimbursement side of The Difference Card's business.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh McLennan Agency: Marsh McLennan Agency is a major insurance brokerage and one of The Difference Card's largest distribution partners. As a broad incumbent, it represents the type of large brokerage that anchors the channel strategy and could also compete with in-house solutions.
• ADP TotalSource: ADP TotalSource is a PEO offering co-employment, benefits administration, and HR outsourcing to small and mid-market employers. It overlaps with The Difference Card's employer benefits administration scope, although delivered via a PEO/co-employment model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/TheDifferenceCard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-difference-card
• Xx.com/differencecard

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Difference Card