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 $875 — a difference of $239/month (38%) before subsidies.
| South Carolina | Nebraska | |
|---|---|---|
| Median Silver @40 | $636 | $875 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $456 | $640 |
| Most expensive county @40 | $931 | $1,460 |
| Age 27 | $374 | $525 |
| Age 60 | $968 | $1,359 |
| Carriers | 6 | 5 |
| Counties | 46 | 93 |
| 1-carrier counties | 0 | 0 |
| Plan types | EPO, HMO, POS, PPO | EPO, 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 Nebraska. There is also a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment periods.
Put your ZIP code in and I 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 me — not a call center.
Relocating between South Carolina and Nebraska counts as a qualifying life event. That buys a 60-day special enrollment period, dated from the move, to choose among Nebraska’s 5 filing carriers. Two conditions apply: at least one day of qualifying coverage during the 60 days beforehand, and the move cannot be purely for medical treatment or a holiday.
Your plan will not come with you. Marketplace coverage is sold state by state, so the South Carolina policy ends and a Nebraska application begins — new network, new premium, even if the name on the card stays the same.
UnitedHealthcare writes on both sides of the line — South Carolina fields 6 carriers in total, Nebraska fields 5. Keeping the same insurer smooths the admin and changes little else, since the network is rebuilt per state.
PPO coverage is patchy: 46 of 46 South Carolina counties and 34 of 93 in Nebraska. Because the PPO is the type most likely to pay out of network, whether one is sold in your particular county matters more here than either state average.
Only one of the two can be your plan state. Marketplace eligibility runs on primary residence, so if you file from South Carolina the Nebraska care is the out-of-network half, and the reverse if you file from Nebraska.
State averages hide enormous county-level spread. Whichever of South Carolina or Nebraska you are in, your ZIP is what sets your premium.