Cheapest Health Insurance in South Carolina: Affordable Plans for 2026

Ambetter is the cheapest health insurance in South Carolina, with an average monthly rate of $621.

Find out if you’re overpaying for health insurance below.

Updated: May 12, 2026

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Key Takeaways

Ambetter, First Choice Next and Molina Healthcare have the cheapest health insurance in South Carolina, with average monthly rates ranging from $621 to $658.

Blue Cross Blue Shield offers the most affordable health insurance in South Carolina across all demographics and all plan types ($572 monthly for adults). Coverage for children averages $342 monthly, teens $408, young adults $458, adults $572 and seniors $1,214. Blue Cross Blue Shield leads for POS ($572), HMO ($576), EPO ($660), PPO ($743) and HSA-eligible plans ($754).

South Carolina's health insurance market offers fewer carrier options than most southeastern states, which narrows the competitive spread at the top. When we analyzed marketplace rates across all plan types and metal levels, Ambetter came in $41 below the statewide average at $621 monthly for a 40-year-old. The more instructive finding: for HMO plans specifically, Blue Cross Blue Shield charges $576 monthly with a $4,064 deductible, beating Ambetter's overall average on both price and deductible.

UnitedHealthcare charges $97 more per month than Ambetter or $1,164 more per year. South Carolina has no Platinum-tier plans, so the Bronze-to-PPO spread runs $357 per month for the same 40-year-old. Subsidies through the ACA Marketplace can reduce that cost for households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Healthy adults who rarely see a provider will find Ambetter's $621 rate hard to beat. Residents who need regular care or PPO access will get more from Molina Healthcare or Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Cheapest Health Insurance Providers in South Carolina

South Carolina residents pay $621 monthly with Ambetter for the cheapest health insurance, $41 less than average. First Choice Next runs $649 monthly. That's $13 less than average. Molina Healthcare charges $658 and saves you $4 per month.


Ambetter	$621	$41	$7,452	$492
First Choice Next	$649	$13	$7,788	$156
Molina Healthcare	$658	$4	$7,896	$48
Blue Cross Blue Shield	$658	$4	$7,896	$48
Instil Health	$673	$11	$8,076	$132
UnitedHealthcare	$718	$56	$8,616	$672

*Average monthly costs represent the mean of all plan rates for each provider in South Carolina, rounded to the nearest dollar. Monthly savings show the cost difference between each provider's average rate and the statewide benchmark.

The gap worth watching is at the bottom of this list: UnitedHealthcare costs $97 more per month than Ambetter or $1,164 more per year. That spread buys broader network access in most markets, but whether the trade-off makes sense depends on whether your preferred doctors are in Ambetter's HMO network.

For the most common buyer profile, a 40-year-old on an HMO Silver plan, the marketplace rate range runs from $550 monthly (Blue Cross Blue Shield's lowest HMO Silver plan) to $573 for the highest-priced HMO Silver plan available. That $23 monthly spread within a single carrier and tier shows how narrow South Carolina's competitive market is at the plan level. The bigger decision is carrier and tier, not which specific plan within a tier.

Ambetter

MoneyGeek Rating

4.6/ 5

4.9/5Affordability

3.3/5Deductible

5/5MOOP

Avg. Monthly Rate
$621
Avg. MOOP
$6807
Avg. Deductible
$4205

pros
- Offers low-income plan options with competitive rates
- Wide range of preventive care services offered
- User-friendly digital tools for managing health plans
cons
- Only offers HMO plans with no PPO or EPO options
- Limited network of specialists in some areas
Ambetter offers South Carolina's lowest premiums at $621 monthly for 40-year-olds, falling $41 under state averages. The trade-off appears in your out-of-pocket expenses: deductibles average $4,205 and maximums cap at $6,807 across HMO coverage only. Premium ranges tell the affordability story. Forty-year-olds pay between $456 and $607 monthly across Expanded Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers. Eighteen-year-olds access plans from $325 monthly. Costs rise with age. Sixty-year-olds pay $967 to $1,290 for similar coverage.

Network restrictions matter here. Ambetter limits you to HMO providers exclusively. Your monthly savings come from accepting higher upfront medical costs and narrower provider access. This structure benefits healthy individuals who rarely need care.
In my analysis, Ambetter's pricing works well for one profile: a healthy adult in their 30s or 40s who expects fewer than three or four medical appointments a year and has no ongoing prescriptions. The $41 monthly savings over the statewide average add up to $492 per year without much downside for that profile.
Ambetter may not be the right fit if you have a preferred specialist outside its HMO network or expect to hit your deductible regularly. At $4,205, Ambetter's average deductible is $2,740 more than Molina Healthcare's Gold-tier deductible of $1,465. Residents who expect more than a few medical visits per year should price out Molina Healthcare's Gold-tier plan before committing to Ambetter's lower monthly rate.

Most Affordable South Carolina Health Insurance By Category

Start with knowing how your age, plan type and metal tier change your premium. Weigh monthly costs against deductibles and out-of-pocket caps while choosing the best health insurance in South Carolina.

Blue Cross Blue Shield wins across all age groups with the lowest premiums, but those savings come at a cost: you'll pay a $3,121 deductible before insurance covers anything and face a $6,341 out-of-pocket maximum annually, making every doctor visit expensive until you hit that limit.


Children	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$342	$4,106	$6,341	$3,121
Teens	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$408	$4,900	$6,341	$3,121
Young Adults	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$458	$5,495	$6,341	$3,121
Adults	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$572	$6,859	$6,341	$3,121
POS	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$572	$6,859	$6,341	$3,121
HMO	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$576	$6,914	$5,578	$4,064
EPO	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$660	$7,924	$5,786	$3,483
PPO	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$743	$8,912	$3,242	$2,390
With Health Savings Account Elligibility	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$754	$9,048	$5,351	$5,351
Seniors	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$1,214	$14,565	$6,341	$3,121

*These are average rates for all plan types and metal levels, with teens at 18, young adults at 26, adults at 40 and seniors at 60. For plan type costs, we used average rates for 40-year-olds.

Blue Cross Blue Shield charges $342 monthly for children and $1,214 for a 60-year-old, a 3.5x difference for the same plan structure. A household covering one parent aged 60 and two children pays more per month for the parent alone than for the children combined. Those households should compare family plan rates directly, since family plan pricing doesn't always equal the sum of individual rates.

Most Affordable South Carolina Health Insurance By Metal Level

Blue Cross Blue Shield leads Bronze coverage at $386 monthly, Expanded Bronze at $397 and Silver at $572 for 40-year-olds. Molina Healthcare offers the cheapest Gold plans at $607 with a $1,465 deductible. South Carolina has no Platinum-tier plans.


Bronze	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$386	$4,636	$7,950	$7,950
Expanded Bronze	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$397	$4,763	$7,725	$5,550
Silver	Blue Cross Blue Shield	$572	$6,859	$6,341	$3,121
Gold	Molina Healthcare	$607	$7,282	$6,054	$1,465

The Bronze-to-Gold trade-off in South Carolina is more contrast than it looks. Blue Cross Blue Shield's Bronze plan costs $386 monthly but carries a $7,950 deductible, so you pay the first $7,950 in medical costs out of pocket each year. Molina Healthcare's Gold-tier plan costs $221 more per month but cuts that deductible to $1,465. The extra premium adds up to $2,652 per year; if your annual medical costs are likely to clear that amount, the Gold-tier plan saves you money overall.

Cheap South Carolina Health Insurance: Personalized Picks

Filter South Carolina health insurance plans by age, plan type and metal level to find rates that match your needs.

Data filtered by:


Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Pee Dee Silver 2	$550	HMO	Silver	$5,229	$4,557	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Pee Dee Silver 2 + Adult Vision	$552	HMO	Silver	$5,229	$4,557	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Pee Dee Silver 1	$554	HMO	Silver	$6,196	$4,043	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Congaree Silver 2	$560	HMO	Silver	$5,229	$4,557	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Congaree Silver 2 + Adult Vision	$561	HMO	Silver	$5,229	$4,557	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Pee Dee Standard Silver	$562	HMO	Silver	$5,657	$3,100	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Congaree Silver 1	$563	HMO	Silver	$6,196	$4,043	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Cooper Silver 2	$571	HMO	Silver	$5,229	$4,557	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Congaree Standard Silver	$572	HMO	Silver	$5,657	$3,100	40	No
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Cooper Silver 2 + Adult Vision	$573	HMO	Silver	$5,229	$4,557	40	No

The default filter returns only Blue Cross Blue Shield plans because it's the only carrier with HMO Silver options in South Carolina's marketplace at age 40. The ten plans shown range from $550 to $573 monthly, a $23 spread entirely within one carrier. Switching the filter to Gold tier reveals Molina Healthcare's pricing advantage, where its $607 rate and $1,465 deductible are the cheapest Gold-tier combination in the state.

Which South Carolina Health Plan Is Right for You?

The right carrier depends on three variables: how often you need care, whether you have preferred doctors or specialists and whether you qualify for an ACA subsidy. Monthly rates across the six carriers on this page run from $621 with Ambetter to $718 with UnitedHealthcare, a $97 monthly gap or $1,164 per year. Your health care use pattern determines which end of that range makes financial sense for you.


Ambetter	$621	Healthy adults who rarely need care and accept HMO-only access	You expect regular specialist visits or need out-of-network flexibility
First Choice Next	$649	Residents comfortable with a regional carrier and smaller provider network	Your doctors aren't in network or you travel frequently
Molina Healthcare	$658 avg	Regular health care users; Gold-tier plan at $607, $1,465 deductible	You need a PPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield runs $743 with a $2,390 deductible
Blue Cross Blue Shield	$658 avg	Residents who need a PPO or the widest plan variety in South Carolina	HMO-only buyers, Ambetter ($621) and First Choice Next ($649) cost less
Instil Health	$673	Residents whose providers are exclusively in Instil Health's network	Your providers are available through Ambetter ($621) or First Choice Next ($649)
UnitedHealthcare	$718	Residents who travel frequently or need national network access	In-state-only care, Blue Cross Blue Shield covers the same network for $60 less

* Average monthly rates shown for 40-year-olds. Molina Healthcare's $658 average reflects all plan types; its Gold-tier plan costs $607 monthly. Blue Cross Blue Shield's $658 average includes HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans.

How to Get Cheap Health Insurance in South Carolina

Premiums in South Carolina differ by hundreds of dollars between insurers. Follow these steps to lower your costs without sacrificing coverage.

1
Compare multiple metal tiers
Avoid simply choosing the lowest-price Bronze or Catastrophic option. Blue Cross Blue Shield's Bronze plan runs $386 monthly for a 40-year-old but carries a $7,950 deductible, so you pay nearly $8,000 before insurance covers most costs. Silver plans average $572 monthly with a $3,121 deductible, a difference of $186 per month. If you expect more than two or three medical events per year, a Silver-tier plan often costs less in total.
2
Evaluate your actual health care needs
Look at what you spent on health care last year. In our analysis of South Carolina marketplace plans, the spread between the cheapest Bronze plan ($386 per month) and the cheapest Gold-tier plan ($607 per month) is $221 monthly, or $2,652 annually. If your out-of-pocket medical costs last year were below $2,652, a Bronze plan may have cost you less overall. If they exceeded that, a Gold-tier plan likely offered better value.
3
Consider HMO plans
HMO plans in South Carolina cost less than PPOs, but they require staying in network. Insurers like Ambetter can reduce monthly costs by $100 or more if you are comfortable coordinating care through assigned providers.
HMO plans in South Carolina average $576 monthly for a 40-year-old through Blue Cross Blue Shield, compared to $743 for a PPO, a difference of $167 per month. That's $2,004 per year in premium savings and it comes with one condition: you stay in network and coordinate care through a primary care provider. If your current doctors are in an HMO network, that trade-off is straightforward.
4
Check for subsidies
Premium tax credits through the ACA Marketplace lower monthly premiums for South Carolina residents earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Enhanced subsidies extended eligibility further for some households. Check HealthCare.gov with your household size and income to see your actual credit amount before choosing a plan.
5
Shop during Open Enrollment
Open enrollment takes place each year from November 1 through January 15. If you miss this, you will need to wait until the next enrollment cycle unless you qualify for a special enrollment period, which is triggered by marriage, the birth of a child or losing job-based coverage.
6
Compare Provider Networks
Verify that your current doctors and hospitals accept the plan you are considering.

Cheapest Health Insurance in South Carolina: Bottom Line

Ambetter's $621 monthly rate is the right starting point for healthy adults in their 30s or 40s who expect fewer than three or four medical appointments a year and can accept HMO-only network access. For residents who expect to hit their deductible regularly, Molina Healthcare's Gold-tier plan at $607 monthly with a $1,465 deductible offers better total-cost value despite the higher premium.

For PPO access and the widest plan variety in South Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield runs $743 monthly with a $2,390 deductible. Residents who need national network access outside South Carolina should price UnitedHealthcare at $718 monthly before committing to a regional carrier.

Affordable Health Insurance in South Carolina: FAQ

Find answers to the most common health insurance questions for South Carolina residents:

How do I get cheap health insurance in South Carolina?

Shop during open enrollment (November 1 to January 15) and compare plans from Ambetter, First Choice Next and Molina Healthcare across multiple metal tiers. Check your eligibility for premium tax credits through the Health Insurance Marketplace. HMO plans cost less than PPO options in South Carolina.

How much is health insurance in South Carolina per month?

Health insurance in South Carolina costs an average of $643 monthly ($7,716 annually) across all plan types and metal levels. Monthly rates range from $231 to $1,679 depending on your age, coverage tier and plan type.

Does South Carolina require health insurance?

South Carolina doesn't require health insurance.

What is the best health insurance in South Carolina?

The answer depends on your health care use. Ambetter charges $621 monthly with a $4,205 deductible, which works well for healthy adults who rarely need care. Blue Cross Blue Shield leads across every age group and plan type category in our analysis. For scored rankings by profile, see our best health insurance in South Carolina guide.

Our Methodology

South Carolina's health insurance market offers dozens of plan options across various price points. Our analysis examined federal marketplace data to find which insurers charge the least for coverage based on your age and plan tier.

Research Approach

Our rate analysis pulled plan-level data from the federal Health Insurance Marketplace for all metal tiers available to South Carolina residents in 2026, covering six carriers across five age groups: 18, 26, 40, 50 and 60. We reviewed Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Silver and Gold plans across HMO, PPO, EPO, POS and HSA-eligible plan types. South Carolina has no Platinum-tier plans in the 2026 marketplace data.

Why We Focus on 40-Year-Olds

We ranked insurers by their rates for 40-year-olds since this age represents the middle of South Carolina's working population. Sticking with one age lets you compare insurers directly without rate fluctuations skewing the rankings.

Age-Specific Rankings

We also ranked insurers separately at each age bracket. A provider that's cheapest for young adults might not be most affordable for someone near 60, so these age-specific rankings help you find the best rate for your life stage.

All data comes from federal sources and covers metal tiers and plan types available to South Carolina residents through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for almost a decade, first with LendingTree and now with MoneyGeek, conducting original research on hundreds of insurance companies and millions of insurance rates for insurance shoppers.

He writes about economics and insurance on MoneyGeek, breaking down complex topics so people can have confidence in their purchase. Like all MoneyGeek analysts, Mark collects and analyzes independent cost and consumer experience data on insurance companies to provide objective recommendations in our content that are independent of any of MoneyGeek's insurance company partnerships.

His insights on products ranging from car, home and renters insurance to health and life insurance have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among others.

Mark holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He started his career working in financial risk management at State Street before transitioning to the analysis of the personal insurance market. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

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