South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority
PEBA is a South Carolina state agency administering retirement and insurance benefits for the state's public workforce, serving 714,000+ retirement members and 550,000+ insurance members across 860+ employer groups.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority does
The South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) is a South Carolina state government agency headquartered at 202 Arbor Lake Drive, Columbia, SC, responsible for administering the state's public employee retirement systems and employee insurance programs. PEBA serves over 714,000 members across five defined benefit retirement plans (South Carolina Retirement System, Police Officers Retirement System, General Assembly Retirement System, Judges and Solicitors Retirement System, and South Carolina National Guard Plan), 68,000 members in the State Optional Retirement Program (defined contribution), and over 550,000 members receiving insurance benefits through the State Health Plan and related programs. More than 860 employer groups participate, including state agencies, public school districts, public institutions of higher education, and optional participating employers such as counties and municipalities.
PEBA's core product portfolio spans two lines. The insurance line includes the self-insured State Health Plan with Standard Plan and Savings Plan options, Medicare Supplemental Plan, TRICARE Supplement Plan, prescription drug coverage (administered by Caremark as of January 1, 2026), dental and vision coverage, Basic and Optional Life Insurance (underwritten by MetLife), Basic and Supplemental Long Term Disability (administered by Standard Insurance Company), MoneyPlus tax-favored accounts (administered by ASIFlex), Health Savings Accounts (custodial bank: Central Bank), Deferred Compensation (administered by Empower), and a broad wellness program suite (Virta, Wondr Health, Hello Heart, Personify Health, health coaching, telehealth). The retirement line encompasses five defined benefit plans, the State ORP defined contribution option, and Deferred Compensation. The technology foundation rests on a legacy Adabas/Natural stack built in the early 1990s, currently being replaced via the PEBA:Connect modernization initiative; member-facing operations run through MyBenefits (mybenefits.sc.gov), Member Access (online.retirement.sc.gov), and employer-facing systems EBS and EES.
The business model is that of a state governmental entity rather than a commercial enterprise. PEBA does not charge customers directly; insurance programs are funded through employer and employee premium contributions, and retirement system contributions are set by the South Carolina General Assembly through the annual appropriations bill based on actuarial valuations. The agency operates with approximately 270 employees and reaches members through a hybrid GTM motion combining direct digital self-service, employer-group enrollment channels, customer service (phone and in-person), and a marketing mix spanning the peba.sc.gov website, PEBA TV YouTube channel, social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn), email communications, news publications, and regional events/training. Operating geographies are restricted to South Carolina, and the agency is governed by a Board of Directors under statutory authority with HIPAA and state-law data confidentiality protections.
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority
- Legal name
- South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority
- Website
- https://peba.sc.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- PEBA is a South Carolina state agency administering retirement and insurance benefits for the state's public workforce, serving 714,000+ retirement members and 550,000+ insurance members across 860+ employer groups.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Employee Benefits Administration
- NAICS
- Pension Funds (525110), Health and Welfare Funds (52512), Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers (524114)
- SIC
- Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Life Insurance (6311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fully Insured Group Health Plans (Employer-Sponsored) (FSAIAFAA), COBRA & Retiree Continuation Administration (HLAEAAAJ)
Keywords
Where South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- State Appropriations and Contributions: PEBA operates as a state government agency. The South Carolina General Assembly sets aside required contributions for retirement plans as part of its annual appropriations bill. Insurance programs are funded through employer and employee premium contributions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Medical Spending Account (2026): $3,400 annual contribution limit |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Prescription Drug Copayments (Standard Plan) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Long Term Disability Coverage |
| Subscription | Monthly | Life Insurance Premiums |
| Subscription | Annual | Health Savings Account (2026) |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Adoption Assistance |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PEBA administers multiple state-managed retirement systems (SCRS, PORS, GARS, JSRS, SCNG, and State ORP) and a Deferred Compensation Program, alongside a comprehensive suite of insurance benefits including the State Health Plan (Standard Plan, Savings Plan, Medicare Supplemental Plan, and TRICARE Supplement Plan), dental, vision, life, long-term disability, behavioral health, prescription drug coverage, HSA and FSA accounts, adoption assistance, and wellness programs for South Carolina public employees, retirees, and their dependents.
Product overview
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) is a state agency administering retirement plans and employee insurance benefits for South Carolina's public workforce. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of benefits through two core product lines: (1) Insurance Benefits including the State Health Plan with Standard Plan and Savings Plan options, Medicare Supplemental Plan, TRICARE Supplement Plan, prescription drug benefits (via Caremark), dental, vision, life insurance (via MetLife), long term disability (via Standard Insurance), health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts (via ASIFlex), and various wellness programs including Hello Heart, Virta, Wondr Health, Personify Health, health coaching, and telehealth; and (2) Retirement Benefits including defined benefit plans (South Carolina Retirement System, Police Officers Retirement System, Judges and Solicitors Retirement System, General Assembly Retirement System, and South Carolina National Guard Plan), the State Optional Retirement Program (defined contribution), and Deferred Compensation (administered by Empower). PEBA also maintains member-facing portals including MyBenefits, Member Access, EBS, and EES. The agency is undertaking PEBA:Connect, a major technology modernization initiative to replace legacy systems from the early 1990s.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- State Health Plan — Standard Plan
Companies that use South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration23 records
Feature1 record
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- BlueCross BlueShield of South CarolinacoreThird-party administrator for State Health Plan including Standard Plan and Savings Plan. Manages claims processing, provider networks, and member services for over 550,000 insurance members.
- CaremarkcorePharmacy benefits manager for State Health Plan, replacing Express Scripts effective January 1, 2026. Serves members through retail network of 64,000+ pharmacies and mail order services.
- Companion Benefit AlternativescoreProvides behavioral health management services for State Health Plan members including utilization management and care coordination.
- Standard Insurance CompanycoreAdministers Basic and Supplemental Long Term Disability coverage for eligible employees. Provides income protection benefits during disability periods.
- MetLifecoreUnderwrites Basic Life, Optional Life, and Dependent Life insurance coverage. Provides Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance and access to MetLife Advantages support services.
- ASIFlexcoreAdministers MoneyPlus tax-favored accounts program including Medical Spending Accounts, Limited-use MSA, and Dependent Care Spending Accounts.
- Selman & CompanysecondaryAdministers TRICARE Supplement Plan for military community members providing secondary coverage to TRICARE for those not eligible for Medicare.
- EmpowercoreAdministers Deferred Compensation Program (457 plan) on behalf of PEBA for supplemental retirement savings.
- Central Bank (HSA Central)coreServes as custodial bank for Health Savings Accounts for Savings Plan members. Manages HSA accounts including investment options once balance reaches $1,000.
- SilverScriptcoreCaremark's Medicare Part D contractor providing prescription drug coverage for Medicare-eligible retirees. PEBA automatically enrolls Medicare-primary members in SilverScript.
- VirtasecondaryDiabetes care program offering medically supervised, research-backed treatment to reverse Type 2 diabetes. Available at no cost to eligible State Health Plan primary members.
- Wondr HealthsecondaryClinical behavioral weight management program teaching skills to lose weight and keep it off. Available at no cost to State Health Plan members ages 18+.
- Hello HeartsecondaryHeart health tracking program with free FDA-cleared blood pressure monitor. Available at no cost to eligible State Health Plan primary members with hypertension.
- Personify HealthsecondaryDigital health and well-being engagement platform offering personalized assessments, daily content, and group challenges. Available at no cost to State Health Plan primary members.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Empower Retirement: Empower is the third-party administrator of PEBA's Deferred Compensation Program (457 plan). It is included as an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, illustrating the private-sector recordkeeping and administration infrastructure that PEBA relies on for its defined contribution offering.
Direct peers
- Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS): OPERS administers pension and health care benefits for Ohio's public employees across state, local, and education employers. The combination of defined benefit, defined contribution, and retiree health benefits makes OPERS highly comparable to PEBA's full mandate.
- North Carolina Retirement Systems Division: North Carolina Retirement Systems administers defined benefit pension plans for North Carolina public employees, including teachers, state employees, and local government workers. It is a Southeast regional peer with comparable pension administration scope to PEBA's SCRS and PORS plans.
- New York State Common Retirement Fund: The New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) is one of the largest public pension systems in the U.S., covering state and local public employees. Its combination of multiple defined benefit tiers plus retiree benefit administration parallels PEBA's five-plan structure.
- Texas Employees Retirement System: Texas ERS administers retirement and health insurance programs for Texas state employees and retirees. It mirrors PEBA's combined retirement-plus-State-Health-Plan mandate, including defined benefit pensions, deferred compensation, and self-insured group health plans.
- California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS): CalPERS is the largest U.S. public pension fund, administering defined benefit retirement and health benefits for California public employees, retirees, and employers. It is the most direct functional peer to PEBA given overlapping mandates in pension administration and state-employee health benefit oversight.
- Washington State Health Care Authority: Washington HCA administers the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program, which provides health and retirement benefits to Washington state's public employees, retirees, and dependents. It is a direct functional peer to PEBA's insurance administration arm, including PEBB's PBM and wellness program structure.
- Florida Department of Management Services - Division of Retirement: Florida DMS administers the Florida Retirement System (a defined benefit pension covering state employees) and oversees state group insurance benefits. It is the closest functional analog to PEBA in the Southeast given the combined pension-and-insurance administrative mandate.
- California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS): CalSTRS administers retirement benefits for California's public school educators and is structurally analogous to how PEBA's SCRS covers South Carolina's public workforce. Both agencies combine pension administration with a defined contribution hybrid option for active members.
Regional players
- Georgia Teachers Retirement System: TRS Georgia administers defined benefit pensions for Georgia's public school educators. It is a Southeast regional peer with a narrower scope than PEBA (pension-only, no insurance administration) but shares member demographics and retirement plan design philosophies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority social profiles
Digital presenceSouth Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority
What does South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority do?
PEBA administers multiple state-managed retirement systems (SCRS, PORS, GARS, JSRS, SCNG, and State ORP) and a Deferred Compensation Program, alongside a comprehensive suite of insurance benefits including the State Health Plan (Standard Plan, Savings Plan, Medicare Supplemental Plan, and TRICARE Supplement Plan), dental, vision, life, long-term disability, behavioral health, prescription drug coverage, HSA and FSA accounts, adoption assistance, and wellness programs for South Carolina public employees, retirees, and their dependents.
Is South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority a public or private company?
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority founded?
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority was founded in 2012. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority based?
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
How does South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority make money?
One revenue line is on record: state Appropriations and Contributions.
Who are South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority's main competitors?
Empower Retirement is listed as an others. Direct peers are Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS), North Carolina Retirement Systems Division, New York State Common Retirement Fund, Texas Employees Retirement System, California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), Washington State Health Care Authority, Florida Department of Management Services - Division of Retirement and California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS). Georgia Teachers Retirement System is listed as a regional player.
Does South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority have an API?
No public API is recorded for South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority.
What industry is South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority in?
South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority's product category is Public Employee Benefits Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAKAA, Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration, with a secondary code of FSAIAFAA, Fully Insured Group Health Plans (Employer-Sponsored). Its NAICS code is 525110 and its SIC code is 6324.