JB,
Heres a theory, think in terms of a wholesaler who offers you an average ticket price for the w/s you install. a wholesaler comes to you and says if you purchase all your windshields from me this year, we will sit down at the end of the year and evaluate our average the price. At the end of the year we find you have over paid for the purchases you made measured against the average. You get a kick back.

insurers in order to limit their liability purchase insurance from other insurers in hopes of reducing their exposure to acceptable limits. If the insurer experiences a loss, past that limit, the reinsurance kicks in to pay the remainder of the claim. Think of Lloyd's of London.

A certain TPA/Wholesaler is actually selling reinsurance without actually being in the business of insurance. Selling insurance without a license, might be the term. The TPA/Wholesaler reduces their exposure with network shops payment rates, clearly the TPA/Wholesaler isn't being paid the same amount as the contract signing shop. Signatories are simply adding to the available TPA/Wholesaler funds to cover the kick back at the end of the year. The key is the self sacrificing signatories. Is that close bedpan?