The annual cost for employee-only (i.e. single premium) health insurance coverage for private sector employers in the South Atlantic region is a mixed bag relative to national levels. In three states and the District of Columbia, most private employers pay higher single premium rates than do similar sized employers nationally. Delaware employers, in particular, find themselves disadvantaged by health insurance costs that are well above national averages. However, in five other South Atlantic states most private employers pay, on average, employee-only premium rates that are less than national averages. A deeper dive into data from the most recent Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2019), which is administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, reveals the following about private sector employee-only health premium costs in the South Atlantic states and nationally:
| State | (1) Small Firms | (2) Large Firms | Overall Avg. |
| DE | $8,458 | $8,008 | $8,090 |
| DC | $6,787 | $7,466 | $7,338 |
| FL | $7,147 | $6,694 | $6,763 |
| GA | $6,643 | $6,905 | $6,873 |
| MD | $6,672 | $7,189 | $7,104 |
| NC | $6,468 | $6,855 | $6,793 |
| SC | $7,376 | $6,534 | $6,691 |
| VA | $6,979 | $6,737 | $6,776 |
| WV | $7,361 | $6,995 | $7,059 |
| U.S. | $6,920 | $6,983 | $6,972 |
