Best Cheap Health Insurance in South Carolina (2024)
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has the best cheap health insurance in South Carolina. Silver plans from BCBS cost as little as $460 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in South Carolina
Cheapest health insurance companies in South Carolina
Ambetter has the most affordable health insurance plans in SC. Coverage starts at $413 per month before discounts.
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Affordable health insurance in South Carolina
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Ambetter | $413 - $606 |
| Molina | $437 - $715 |
| First Choice Next | $457 - $595 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $460 - $686 |
- Ambetter has the cheapest rates for roughly nine out of every 10 South Carolina residents. The company has the most affordable Silver health plans in South Carolina's largest cities including Charleston, Greenville and Columbus.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) sells 73% of all health plans in South Carolina making BCBS the most popular health insurance company in the state.
Best health insurance companies in South Carolina
Blue Cross Blue Shield has the best health insurance in South Carolina for most people.
Blue Cross Blue Shield has a high four out of five-star rating from HealthCare.gov. This star rating measures plan quality, customer satisfaction and plan management. In addition, BCBS of South Carolina gets significantly fewer complaints than an average company its size.
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is the only company to offer non-HMO coverage options on the health insurance marketplace. You can buy an EPO (exclusive provider organization) plan that lets you get in-network care from a specialist without a referral. However, you can't go outside your network of doctors with an EPO unless you have a medical emergency.
Best-rated health insurance companies in South Carolina
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | 4.0 | |
| Molina Healthcare | 3.0 | |
| Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | 2.0 | |
| Cigna Healthcare of South Carolina | NA | |
| First Choice Next | NA |
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Best health insurance in South Carolina for choice of doctors
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina customers have access to the largest network of doctors nationwide. That makes BCBS a good choice if you travel often, require medical care from specialists or you want more choice of doctors in your area.
Before buying health coverage, it's a good idea to check that your plan covers the doctors you currently see.
What's the cost of health insurance in South Carolina?
Health insurance in SC costs $50 per month on average for those who qualify for discounts based on your income.
Nearly everyone in South Carolina who buys health insurance on HealthCare.gov qualifies for a discount, called a subsidy or premium tax credit. Roughly six in 10 people with exchange health plans pay under $10 per month for a Silver Health plan after discounts.
Silver health plans in South Carolina cost an average of $541 per month if you don't qualify for subsidies.
The plan tier you choose and your age are the two biggest factors influencing your health insurance costs if you live in South Carolina.
Plan tiers with higher monthly rates let you pay less when you visit the doctor. Higher plan tiers make sense if you have an ongoing health condition because you'll save money when you use your insurance. However, lower plan tiers are usually a better choice for healthy individuals.
For example, an average Gold plan in South Carolina costs $27 per month more than a Silver plan, but an average Gold plan has a deductible that's thousands of dollars less than what you'd pay for a Silver plan.
Gold vs. Silver plan total cost for one year with $5,000 in medical bills
Silver | Gold | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly rate | $541 | $568 |
| Deductible | $5,639 | $1,388 |
| 20% Coinsurance | $0 | $722 |
| Final cost to you | $11,492 | $8,926 |
Assuming you have $5,000 of medical costs in a single year. Rates are for an average 40-year-old in South Carolina.
In addition, Gold plans cap your total annual costs, called an out-of-pocket maximum, at $1,080 less than Silver plans on average.
Health insurance gets more expensive as you get older. These rate increases are typically lower in your 20s and 30s. However, they grow much higher as you move into middle age. On average, a 60-year-old in South Carolina pays twice as much as a 40-year-old for the same level of coverage.
Get affordable health insurance in South Carolina
South Carolina residents who qualify for health insurance discounts because of their income pay $50 per month for coverage on average.
Almost 60% of health exchange shoppers in South Carolina pay less than $10 per month for coverage.
You're eligible for discounts if you earn between about $15,000 and $60,000 per year as a single person or around $31,000 to $125,000 for a family of four. Subsidies can be used with Bronze, Silver and Gold health plans bought through HealthCare.gov.
If you earn less than the minimum qualifying income, you may be in what's called the Medicaid "coverage gap", which exists because South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid coverage to everyone who earns a low-income.
There are 76,000 adults who don't have access to Medicaid or health insurance discounts in South Carolina.
In other words, a single person who earns below about $15,000 per year and who doesn't qualify for Medicaid has few affordable health coverage options in South Carolina.
Cheap South Carolina health insurance plans by city
Ambetter has the cheapest Silver health plans in Charleston, at $413 per month on average.
Ambetter also has the cheapest rates in other large South Carolina cities like Columbia, Rock Hill and Greenville.
Cheapest health insurance by SC county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Abbeville | Ambetter Clear Silver | $420 |
| Aiken | Ambetter Clear Silver | $455 |
| Allendale | Molina Silver 1 | $477 |
| Anderson | Ambetter Clear Silver | $516 |
| Bamberg | Ambetter Clear Silver | $443 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
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Ambetter has the cheapest health insurance for about 90% of South Carolina residents.
Best health insurance by level of coverage
The best health insurance for you will depend on the level of medical care you think you'll need in the coming year. It's also important to look at what discounts you'll qualify for because of your income and what plan types are available where you live.
Gold plans: Best if you visit the doctor frequently
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Consider a Gold plan if you have an ongoing illness or a medical problem that requires expensive treatment. Gold plans have high monthly rates, but you pay very little when you go to the doctor.
Gold plans in South Carolina cost $568 per month and have a $1,388 yearly deductible on average.
Silver plans: Best for average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver health plans have average monthly rates and middle-of-the-road costs when you go to the hospital or get a prescription filled. That makes Silver plans a good choice for most people. In addition, you may qualify for extra discounts with a Silver plan if you earn a low income, called cost-sharing reductions.
On average, Silver plans in South Carolina cost $541 per month and have a $5,639 deductible on average.
Bronze plans: Best if you're young and healthy
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans may be a good choice if you're in good health and don't expect that you'll need much medical care in the coming year. These plans have cheap monthly rates, but expensive costs when you visit the doctor. You should only buy a Bronze plan if you have enough money in your savings account to cover your share of the medical bill if you get into an accident or fall sick.
In South Carolina, Bronze plans cost $414 per month and have a $6,201 health insurance deductible on average.
Catastrophic plans: Best to prevent financial disaster
Catastrophic plans are usually a bad idea because of their limited coverage.
Catastrophic plans offer bare-bones coverage that only pays for care after you've paid thousands of dollars out of pocket. However, these plans have cheap rates which may make them a good idea in limited circumstances. For example, if you don't qualify for health insurance discounts and you have enough money in your savings account to comfortably pay for large medical bills, a catastrophic plan could make sense.
Catastrophic plans are only available to people under the age of 30 and those who qualify for a special hardship exemption.
In South Carolina, catastrophic plans cost $259 per month and have a $9,450 deductible on average.
Free and affordable health coverage in South Carolina for people who earn low incomes
South Carolina residents who earn a low-income may qualify for free or reduced-price health insurance.
Silver plans with cost-sharing reductions: Best if you earn a low income but can't get Medicaid
| Silver plans will pay 73% to 94% of your medical costs if you have a low income. |
Silver health plans are eligible for extra discounts, called cost-sharing reductions, that help pay for the costs you're responsible for when you visit the doctor. This includes your deductible, copays and coinsurance.
Catastrophic, Bronze and Gold plans aren't eligible for cost-sharing reductions.
To qualify for cost-sharing reductions, you need to earn less than $36,000 per year as an individual or under $75,000 per year for a family of four.
Medicaid: Free health insurance for qualifying South Carolinians
You may qualify for free government health insurance, called Medicaid, if you earn a low income and you are:
- Blind
- Disabled
- Pregnant
- 18 or younger
- Over the age of 65
- A parent or caretaker to a child 18 or younger
- Diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer
The amount you need to earn to qualify for Medicaid in South Carolina depends on your individual circumstances. For example, pregnant women can earn up to about $30,000. Families with children 18 and under and emancipated minors can qualify with incomes up to about $32,000. However, seniors and people with disabilities have an income limit of $15,060.
Medicaid coverage rules differ by state. South Carolina is one of a handful of states that hasn't adopted expanded Medicaid. That means it has tighter eligibility requirements than most places in the U.S.
Are health insurance rates going up in South Carolina?
Health insurance rates increased 11% in South Carolina between 2023 and 2024 on average. Silver plans had the largest rate hikes at 15% on average while Catastrophic plans got 1% cheaper. Both Bronze and Gold plans rose in price by 13%.
Are health insurance rates going up in SC?
Tier | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $262 | $258 | -1% |
| Bronze | $367 | $414 | 13% |
| Silver | $469 | $541 | 15% |
| Gold | $503 | $568 | 13% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
All marketplace health insurance plans in SC have to cover what are called 10 essential benefits.
- Outpatient care
- Emergency care
- Hospital care
- Care for pregnant women and newborns
- Services for mental health and substance use disorders
- Prescription drugs
- Laboratory services
- Coverage for babies
- Rehabilitation services and devices
- Preventive, wellness and ongoing disease services
Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver and Gold plans all have to cover these services. However, short-term health insurance plans don't have these coverage requirements.
Cost of South Carolina health insurance by family size
You'll pay $324 per child that you add to your health plan on average in South Carolina.
That means a single parent with one child pays $865 per month before discounts for Silver health coverage. A family of four with two children under the age of 18 pays $1,731 per month before discounts on average.
Family size | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Individual | $541 |
| Individual + Child | $865 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,083 |
| Family of three | $1,407 |
| Family of four | $1,731 |
Averages based on a Silver plan for 40-year-old adults and children.
Short-term health insurance in South Carolina
You can get up to four months of short-term health coverage in South Carolina at a time. After your coverage ends, you have to wait eight months before you can buy a new short-term health insurance plan.
Plans bought before Sept. 1, 2024 can go for up to 11 months. You can renew one of these plans up to three times for a total of 33 months of coverage.
Short-term coverage lets you get coverage if you miss open enrollment and you're not eligible for a special enrollment period.
These plans tend to cost less than regular health insurance. However, they typically offer less coverage and have more restrictions compared to a marketplace health plan.
Pros of short-term health insurance in SC
Cons of short-term health insurance in SC
Frequently asked questions
Who has the best health insurance in South Carolina?
BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of South Carolina has the best health insurance in South Carolina. Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have a strong four out of five-star rating from HealthCare.gov, and BCBS gets significantly fewer complaints than an average company its size according to the NAIC.
How much is health insurance per month in South Carolina?
Health insurance in South Carolina costs $541 per month for an average Silver plan before discounts.
However, nearly everyone in SC who buys coverage on HealthCare.gov qualifies for discounts, called subsidies. Discounted plans cost $50 per month, on average, and about six in 10 South Carolina residents pay under $10 per month for health insurance.
What is the most popular health insurance in South Carolina?
Blue Cross Blue Shield has the most popular health insurance in South Carolina. The company sells 73% of health plans in the state.
Methodology
South Carolina health insurance rate data for 2024 is from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website. ValuePenguin used the CMS public use files (PUFs) in calculations to average rates across a variety of factors such as plan tier, county and family size. Plans and insurance companies for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our reporting. Those excluded from these files were not included in our analysis.
Rates are based on a 40-year-old with a Silver plan, unless otherwise noted. Other sources include S&P Global Capital IQ, NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Editorial note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.