Head-to-head, from CMS Plan Year 2026 data.
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South Carolina is the cheaper of the two: a 40-year-old pays about $636/month for the median Silver plan, versus $708 — a difference of $72/month (11%) before subsidies.
| South Carolina | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median Silver @40 | $636 | $708 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $456 | $385 |
| Most expensive county @40 | $931 | $1,048 |
| Age 27 | $374 | $316 |
| Age 60 | $968 | $818 |
| Carriers | 6 | 7 |
| Counties | 46 | 83 |
| 1-carrier counties | 0 | 0 |
| Plan types | EPO, HMO, POS, PPO | EPO, HMO, PPO |
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits; not a quote or an offer of coverage.
This page sets two states against each other. For county-by-county carriers, plan data and help actually enrolling, I publish a page for each state on Coverage by County: South Carolina or Michigan. There is also a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment periods.
Change the age or income and both states recalculate: the 2027 marketplace price after any tax credit, and the private plan estimate.
| Monthly, age 45, $85,000 | South Carolina | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace benchmark Silver, full price | $778 | $677 |
| Tax credit | none | none |
| You pay for the benchmark plan | $778 | $677 |
| Private plan estimate (low end: no deductible) | $350–$505 | $350–$475 |
At 45 on $85,000, the benchmark plan costs $1,218 a year more in South Carolina than in Michigan, at full price in both, since that income is over the tax-credit line.
2027 estimates: KFF 2026 benchmark raised by each state’s average 2027 change, on the federal age curve; 2027 tax credit rules. Your county will differ. Every state at once: what you would pay in each state.
Put your ZIP code in and a licensed agent will show you the carriers filing in your county, what the cheapest plan costs, and what you would actually pay after any help you qualify for. No cost, and you talk to a licensed agent — not a call center.
You do not have to wait for the next open enrollment. A permanent move between these two opens a 60-day special enrollment period from the day you arrive, which is the window in which you would pick from the 7 carriers writing across Michigan’s 83 counties. Watch the fine print: qualifying coverage for at least one day in the preceding 60 is generally required, and a move for medical care or a vacation does not count.
There is no transfer to request. South Carolina coverage stops, Michigan coverage starts, and the premium is rebuilt from your new county rather than carried over.
UnitedHealthcare writes on both sides of the line — South Carolina fields 6 carriers in total, Michigan fields 7. Keeping the same insurer smooths the admin and changes little else, since the network is rebuilt per state.
Both sides keep the option open: PPOs are sold in every county — 46 in South Carolina, 83 in Michigan. That is the type most likely to cover care outside its network, and it is the one to prioritise if you will genuinely be in both rather than simply leaving.
Only one of the two can be your plan state. Marketplace eligibility runs on primary residence, so if you file from South Carolina the Michigan care is the out-of-network half, and the reverse if you file from Michigan.
Picking between South Carolina and Michigan on the headline number is a mistake. Enter your ZIP and a licensed agent will show you what is actually filed for you.
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