YOUR TAXES AT WORK

Taxpayers pay for retirement and health insurance for thousands of non-government employees.

Nonprofit organizations and quasi-government groups benefit from the state pension and health insurance systems including:

• Municipal Association of SC representing 271 incorporated municipalities and SC Association of Counties representing all 46 counties.

• SC School Boards Association representing the boards of all 79 public school districts.

All 3 are registered lobbyists, according to State Ethics Commission records.

• SC Research Authority, a multimillion-dollar nonprofit is part of the state health insurance system.

• Taxpayer-owned San-tee Cooper which is more than $15 billion in debt after abandoning its $9 billion nuclear project it partnered with SC Electric & Gas.

• 752 employers in the state health plan and 844 employers in the state general employee and police officer retirement systems.

• Private nonprofit tourism, economic development and health care groups.

The state has separate systems for lawmakers, judges, solicitors, and state National Guard personnel.

As of June 30, 2018, more than $2.5 billion in employer and employee contributions was collected in all 5 state retirement systems.

About 194,000 state, school and other government employees and 140,000 retirees and beneficiaries received benefits.

State health insurance which includes Medicare supplement and savings plans covers 470,000 individuals including spouses and children. About 179,000 public employees contributed to the system and about 85,000 retirees.

The state pension and retiree health insurance systems face serious debt, SC Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom contends.

The latest 30-year debt projections for the pension system is $24 billion and $14 billion for the retiree health insurance system.

State law lists 31 categories eligible for the state health plan, including regional “tourism promotion commissions” such as Capital City/Lake Murray Country funded by the state tourism department.

Other nonprofits such as the SC Sheriffs’ Association, SC State Employees Association, SC School Boards Association and anti-littering Palmetto Pride are covered under the state law.

The state House Republican Caucus representing 80 of the 124 House members also is a participant.

The State Transportation Infrastructure Bank board, state Lottery Commission, and county magistrates benefit in the state health plan but must pay premiums.

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