Health insurance plans in Charleston County, South Carolina (2026)

• 4carriers selling 2026 marketplace plans in Charleston County
• 60plans on the Charleston shelf, from 18 bronze to 19 gold
• $509benchmark silver for a 40 year old in Charleston, full price per month

Who sells marketplace plans in Charleston County

Charleston County has more carriers than Greenville County, the other South Carolina county I track, four against three. Across all 79 counties and parishes I track in 24 states, 51 have more carriers than Charleston. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina alone accounts for 31 of the 60 plans in Charleston, 52 percent of the shelf, so a lot of what you see when you shop is one company's lineup in different metal levels.

Charleston plan counts from the CMS 2026 landscape file (county FIPS 45019, Rating Area 10). Bronze includes expanded bronze, and companies CMS lists under more than one legal issuer are grouped with the legal names underneath.

What it costs in Charleston County before any subsidy

These are the full monthly prices, before any premium tax credit, for the cheapest Charleston plan at each metal level. I show the sticker price because it is what your subsidy is subtracted from, and most people who enroll in Charleston pay less, often a lot less.

Benchmark silver is the second lowest of the 23 silver premiums listed for Charleston. The last column is two adults aged 40 plus two children.

What these numbers mean if you live in Charleston County

Charleston County is one of 32 of the 79 counties and parishes on my list where the metal levels are priced in the order you would expect. The cheapest gold at 40 is $520, which is $10 above the benchmark silver and $13 above the cheapest silver. In Charleston the extra gold premium pays for a lower deductible rather than coming free.

In Charleston County the benchmark is $119 above the cheapest bronze at age 40, and nine of the other 78 counties and parishes I track have a narrower one. That gap decides whether bronze can be free, because your subsidy is the $509 benchmark minus what the government expects you to pay from your income. A 40 year old in Charleston whose expected share is $119 a month or less would pay nothing for the cheapest bronze. At 60 the Charleston gap grows to $252 and at 21 it shrinks to $93, which is why older enrollees are the ones most likely to find a $0 plan.

Greenville County, around Greenville, is the other South Carolina county I track. Compared with Greenville County, the Charleston benchmark is $83 lower at 40 and the cheapest bronze is $8 lower. Molina Healthcare sells in Charleston and not in Greenville County.

Charleston plans by metal level, network and deductible

By network type the 60 Charleston plans break down as 38 HMO, 13 EPO and 9 PPO. Only 9 are PPOs, and every one of them comes from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. If seeing specialists without a referral matters to you, that narrows the Charleston shelf to one company. 3 plans in Charleston have a $0 medical deductible (3 expanded bronze). The 3 bronze ones among them still have out of pocket maximums of $10,500 to $10,600, so a $0 deductible does not mean a small bill.

2027 plans for Charleston County

These are the 2026 plans and prices for Charleston County. The 2027 plans and prices are published around November 1, 2026, and I will update this page with the new Charleston numbers then. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage in South Carolina runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and December 15 is the last day to pick a plan that starts January 1.

Questions about Charleston County coverage

More for Charleston County residents

• Health insurance brokers in South Carolina, how to choose one and what it costs
• Every 2027 carrier change in South Carolina
• How Charleston compares with the other 78 counties and parishes I track
• Estimate a Charleston subsidy