Ranked 3 of 15 states · median $636/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old dentist in South Carolina pays a median $636/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 3th of 15 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $456 from Ambetter from Absolute Total Care in Abbeville. On median Silver premium, South Carolina ranks 3 of 15 for this occupation.
When you use coverage regularly, the annual total is driven by what each visit costs and whether the clinician you already see is contracted. A plan $40 cheaper that drops your specialist is not cheaper. These rankings pair median premium with how many carriers actually file in the state.
Occupational context: Chronic neck and back strain; repetitive hand injury; aerosol exposure.
This is background for choosing a plan, not for pricing one. Since 2014 every South Carolina exchange plan has been guaranteed issue and community rated: same age, same ZIP, same tobacco status means the same filed premium whether you are a dentist or an accountant. Occupation changes the shopping criteria, nothing else.
Premium is set by rating area, so a dentist in one South Carolina county can pay materially more than one an hour away. Six counties from across the state, cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old:
| County | Cheapest Silver @40 | Issuer | Deductible | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton | $567 | Molina Healthcare | $7,000 | 4 |
| Chester | $590 | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | $6,000 | 5 |
| Union | $641 | First Choice Next | $6,000 | 5 |
| Bamberg | $498 | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | $6,000 | 3 |
| Darlington | $529 | InStil Health | $6,500 | 4 |
| Marion | $545 | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | $6,000 | 4 |
The spread across just these six is $143/month — $1,718 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $456 to $931. Coverage by County publishes all 46 South Carolina counties individually.
| South Carolina — network and cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median Silver premium @40 | $636 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $456 — Ambetter from Absolute Total Care (Abbeville) |
| Most expensive Silver @40 | $931 |
| Carriers filing in the state | 6 — Ambetter from Absolute Total Care, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, First Choice Next, InStil Health |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO, POS, PPO |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 of 46 |
South Carolina has 6 carriers filing and 0 of 46 counties served by a single issuer. For a dentist with an established provider relationship, that carrier count is the number that decides whether you keep your doctor.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. 2,518 plan records across 46 South Carolina counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Indiana ($558), Ohio ($625). More expensive: Alabama ($680), Wisconsin ($687), Michigan ($708).
Side-by-side: South Carolina vs Indiana · South Carolina vs Ohio · South Carolina vs Alabama · South Carolina vs Wisconsin
Read the comparison as context, not as a shopping list. Your county of residence determines what you can buy, and for a dentist that is fixed unless you relocate. Where it is actionable is a move already in progress — that is a qualifying life event, and you have 60 days on either side of it.
Self-employed Dentists in South Carolina typically deduct: Malpractice insurance, chair and equipment, lab fees, licensing. Health premiums sit separately, above the line under IRC §162(l), and only when neither you nor a spouse could have joined an employer plan — eligibility disqualifies you even if you declined the coverage.
If your household income is above the subsidy range, ACA is not automatically the answer. There are other categories of coverage that may fit, and they work very differently. That is a conversation, not a web page.
The cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old in South Carolina is $456 per month from Ambetter from Absolute Total Care, with a state median of $636. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
No. Under the ACA, carriers cannot rate, decline, or exclude based on occupation or health history. Rates vary only by age, ZIP code, tobacco use and household size.
Yes. Plan types filed for 2026: EPO, HMO, POS, PPO.
South Carolina ranks 3 of 15 states covered here, at a median $636 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
Above the cliff. At this income a single-person household receives no premium tax credit for 2026 and pays the full premium.
This occupation is above the cliff in all 20 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021) in South Carolina. BLS surveys wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed, so it is a benchmark for the occupation in this state — not the income of a self-employed dentist. Premium tax credit eligibility is set by household modified adjusted gross income and household size, not by occupation, so treat this as a reference point rather than a determination of what you qualify for.
Why the cliff is back. The enhanced premium tax credits expired on 31 December 2025. For plan year 2026 the 400% FPL limit applies again, so household income above $62,600 ends premium tax credit eligibility outright.
This page compares states. For South Carolina specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Dentists in South Carolina and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
South Carolina has 6 carriers filing across 46 counties right now. That list is rebuilt every year, so what you can choose from in November may not match what you see today — and for a dentist buying your own cover, who stays matters more than the headline rate.
Rate filings for 2027 point to roughly a 15% median increase nationally, from −1% at one end to 54% at the other. South Carolina has not finalised, so treat exact local 2027 pricing as unavailable rather than unknown.
Mark November 1, 2026 to open and December 15 to act. That second date guarantees cover from January 1 in South Carolina regardless of how the current litigation over the enrollment window resolves.
In your favour: PPOs are sold in all 46 South Carolina counties. That is the type most likely to pay toward out-of-network care, and worth defending at renewal if your work as a dentist takes you around.
Nothing about 2027 is urgent yet, which is exactly why it is worth ten minutes now. Come November you will be choosing between South Carolina’s carriers under a deadline; today you can do it without one.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
There is no single South Carolina price. Enter your ZIP and I will pull what is filed in your county, then work out what help you qualify for.