The state’s health insurance plan for public employees may be unmanageable.

It may cost state taxpayers even more when ineligible board members and parttimers gain coverage.

2 Lexington County school districts have more employees covered by the plan than many state agencies.

Lexington District 1 in Lexington, Gilbert and Pelion has 7,484 employees covered by the plan. That’s more than such

That’s more than such state agencies as the Departments of Transportation, Corrections, Mental Health, Social Services and Health and Environmental Control.

Lexington-Richland District 5 in Chapin and Irmo has 5,028 employees covered by the plan.

That’s more than Charleston and Horry County governments and the giant Santee Cooper public utility.

In August, the agency in charge of managing the plan told state-owned Santee Cooper that members of its governing board were offered insurance benefits under the plan though they weren’t eligible.

Santee Cooper communications director Mollie Gore said they haven’t been able to pinpoint the date when the 12-member board started receiving benefits, though “it has been in practice for at least several decades.”

This raises questions about the Public Employee Benefit Authority’s ability to ensure that more than 700 state and local government agencies, quasi-government organizations and other groups comply with state law.

Under state law, full-time employees working at least 30 hours a week are eligible for state health benefits.

Santee Cooper’s board members are not full-timers.

Heather Young, PEBA‘s communications manager, said they “regularly audit participating employers in the state health plan.”

State law doesn’t require audits of employers.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve (www.thenerve.org). Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org .