Francis B. Allgood
SCBIZ Daily Staff

GREENVILLE -- A statewide employee benefits survey reveals premiums for single and family coverage in South Carolina are lower than the national average, but the demand on employees has accelerated.

“We’re a hotbed for these consumer-driven health plans,” said David Slade, an executive with Rosenfeld Einstein, who presented the company’s findings Wednesday.

Rosenfeld Einstein surveyed 158 employers throughout the Palmetto State representing $374 million in health care spending.

Preferred provider organization plans account for 64 percent of plans in South Carolina. PPOs average $356 per month for single-coverage premiums and $1,000 for family coverage, compared to national averages of $386 and $1,037, respectively.

High-deductible health plans grew 2% from Rosenfeld Einstein’s last survey in 2006. Average monthly HDHP premiums in South Carolina, at $289 for single coverage and $848 for families, are also below the national average.

Deductibles, however, for PPO plans average $918 for single coverage and $2,425 for family coverage. The national average is $461 and $1,040, respectively.

Slade said the trend is reflective of per capita income levels.

“If you go to Raleigh-Durham; Boston; Austin, Texas — they have high-tech, white-collar, higher-wage jobs, and employers have to offer really rich packages to keep and retain those people,” Slade said. “We have some in this area, but not as many, so our benefits tend to be a little less rich.”

The report showed that 45% of South Carolina companies are offering more than a single plan to choose from.

According to a 2007 MetLife study on employee benefits trends, those citing benefits as an important reason to join a company rose from 25% in 2004 to 33% in 2007.

“When you have less turnover, you have better morale,” said Howard Einstein, principal of Rosenfeld Einstein. “Turnover is very expensive and benefits are a link back to that.”

Wellness programs in the state are lagging behind the national median — 18% compared to the 31% nationally.

“Sixty percent of all our claims are behavioral driven,” Einstein said.

While more companies are spending time trying to educate employees on benefit programs, more than half of employees in South Carolina spend less than 30 minutes reviewing their enrollment options.

“This is pretty staggering,” Slade said. “This just means we’ve got a lot of work to do to get them more connected.”