Low Country Health Care System
Updated Filing received by DOL
Low Country Health Care System, a healthcare & social assistance employer in Fairfax, South Carolina, reported 206 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2024. Its Form 5500 shows $1.8M in insurance premiums across 2 contracts and $105,521 in broker commissions and fees, 4.0% of medical premium against a national median of 3.8% among plans that paid commissions in plan year 2024. The plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. The Department of Labor received the filing on October 27, 2025, before the deadline.
Who was paid on Low Country Health Care System's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Low Country Health Care System filed for 2024.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Sam Plexico & Associates · Charleston, SC | $62,883 | $0 | $62,883 | 2 |
| Southeastern Ins Consultants LLC · Irmo, SC | $39,472 | $0 | $39,472 | 1 |
| James R Nelligan & Associates LLC · Wall, NJ | $5,483 | $0 | $5,483 | 1 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, Part I (broker commissions and fees), plan year 2024, as published in EBSA's 2024 "Latest" dataset. Part I names whoever the carrier paid, which can be a firm or an individual agent; both are public record. Amounts exclude pay from carriers not tied to a listed contract.
Insurance contracts and carriers
Every insurance contract reported on Schedule A: carrier, what it covers, people covered at year end, earned premium, and broker compensation.
| Carrier · coverage | Covered | Premium | Broker pay | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolinahealth, dental, vision, prescription drug, PPO | 164 | $1.6M | $62,883 | 4.0% |
| Standard Insurance Companydental, vision, life, short-term disability, long-term disability | 218 | $273,870 | $42,638 | 15.6% |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, plan year 2024. Self-funded medical coverage has no premium; amounts shown for it are stop-loss or administrative contracts.
How Low Country Health Care System compares
Medians across employers for plan year 2024, the most recent complete year. Commission rates use fully insured medical contracts only; dollar medians use every employer that disclosed broker pay.
Premium per covered person on medical contracts: $9,526 a year (national median $7,274).
Source: BenefitsLedger benchmarks from 58,547 employer health plans with 100 or more participants, plan year 2024. Methodology.
Year over year
| 2023 | 2024 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 203 | 206 | +1.5% |
| Premiums filed | $1,751,073 | $1,836,157 | +4.9% |
| Broker commissions + fees | $83,697 | $105,521 | +26.1% |
| Commission rate | 3.7% | 4.0% | +0.3 pts |
Source: DOL Form 5500 filings for plan years 2023 and 2024.
Filings and timeliness
Plans this employer filed under its EIN with a health benefit code. Large plans are due seven months after the plan year ends, or two and a half months later with an extension; amended filings carry the amendment date, so no timing is asserted for them.
| Plan | Plan year end | Received by DOL | Timing | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Country Health Care System Welfare Benefit Plan#501 · insurance, general assets | March 31, 2025 | October 27, 2025 | before deadline | 206 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Part I and signature dates; "late" means received after the extended deadline (the 15th day of the tenth month after plan year end). What a late Form 5500 costs.
How much did Low Country Health Care System pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2024?
Low Country Health Care System's 2024 Form 5500 reports $105,521 in broker commissions and fees across 2 insurance contracts ($105,521 in commissions, $0 in fees), with J. Sam Plexico & Associates receiving the largest share.
Is Low Country Health Care System's health plan self-funded or fully insured?
The 2024 filing indicates the plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. Medical coverage is written by Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina.
How does Low Country Health Care System's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
Low Country Health Care System paid 4.0% of medical premium in commissions and fees. The median for employers with 200-499 participants is 3.6%, and the median in South Carolina is 3.9%. Percentages are computed only on fully insured medical contracts with filed premiums.
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Record built October 24, 2026 from U.S. Department of Labor, EBSA Form 5500 datasets (2025, 2024, 2023 plan years, 'Latest' files). Filings can run 7 to 10 months behind the plan year; always confirm against current plan documents. BenefitsLedger is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor. Open the DOL filing search.