Cheapest (and Best) Health Insurance in Charleston, SC (2024)

Location is one of the main factors that impact health insurance costs, along with age, plan type, health care needs and the number of people on your plan.

MoneyGeek analyzed Marketplace data to identify the cheapest health insurance plans in Charleston, South Carolina. We also found the best providers for different profiles based on premium cost, maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) costs, plan options and claims denial rates.

Not all companies offer every plan type, so always shop around to find a plan that suits your needs. If only one insurer offers plans in your area, compare the available options to find the best plan or tier for you.

Based on MoneyGeek’s analysis of cost, plans and customer service, the best health insurance company in Charleston is Ambetter, offering a Silver plan at an average of $453 per month with a MOOP of $4,346. Cigna Healthcare of South Carolina is the second-best provider at $506 per month and an average MOOP of $5,082.

When choosing the best health insurance, consider cost-sharing options and customer service in addition to the premium price.

Ambetter offers the best cheap health insurance in Charleston at $453 per month for a Silver plan and an average MOOP of $4,386.

Health insurance premiums are determined by how you and your insurer split the costs of care. Location also impacts rates, so prices differ by city and state.

The best company may not necessarily be the most affordable, but if you are looking for cheap health insurance, you should familiarize yourself with the metal tier system and how premiums and MOOPs relate to each other. It’s also wise to consider how deductibles, copays and co-insurance impact the cost of health insurance.

Molina offers the cheapest Silver plan in Charleston at $450 per month. For this section, we conducted our analysis at the provider level, and costs are based on average rates across plans. The cheapest policies are not necessarily the best, but if you value affordability, Silver plans are mid-tier and offer premium reduction options.

The metal tier system consists of levels ranging from Bronze through Platinum, the cheapest being Bronze. For those who qualify, Catastrophic plans are cheaper than Bronze but only cover emergency services. Low premiums plans have high MOOP costs and may be sufficient for emergencies but not routine health care.

You can look up the cheapest providers in Charleston by metal tier and average plan costs in the table below.

The Ambetter Virtual Access Silver from Ambetter is the cheapest Silver plan in Charleston, with an average monthly premium of $437. For this section, we conducted our analysis at a plan level rather than a provider level.

The table below shows the cheapest health insurance companies in Charleston by metal with their average plan costs. Catastrophic plans are not included since they are only available to those under 30.

Age plays a key role in health insurance costs, regardless of location. Costs increase with age since older people tend to have more health care needs.

Bronze or Expanded Bronze plans are almost always the cheapest. Catastrophic plans are the most affordable but have age requirements.

When choosing a low-tier plan, ensuring that you are comfortable with the provider’s network will save you from incurring high out-of-pocket costs for out-of-network services.

Your age and the metal tier of the plan you choose determine the bulk of your health insurance costs. The older you are, the more you will pay for health insurance. You will also pay more for high-tier plans like Gold and Platinum.

You can use the table below to compare average costs by metal tier and age.

Financial assistance or health insurance subsidies are available to people who fall within specific low-income brackets.

Subsidies were initially offered to those whose income ranges between 100% and 400% of the FPL, but the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act extended health insurance subsidies to include those with income over 400% of the FPL until 2025.

If you are not eligible for subsidies, you may qualify for Medicaid and CHIP. Your income should fall between 100% and 150% of the FPL to qualify for Medicaid, depending on the state. Keep in mind that Medicaid and Medicare have different eligibility requirements.

You answered the following frequently asked questions to help you find cheap medical insurance in Charleston.