Ranked 3 of 15 states · median $636/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old massage therapist 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.
Patient-facing and standing work means steady, predictable utilization — regular visits, prescriptions, physical therapy. Copay structure and network breadth drive real annual cost more than the headline premium, so these pages rank states on median premium and carrier count together.
Occupational context: Chronic hand, wrist, and shoulder overuse injury.
Two things get confused here constantly. Risk exposure decides what coverage you should buy. It does not decide what you are charged — South Carolina carriers rate on age, ZIP, tobacco and family size, full stop. A massage therapist with a bad back and a healthy 40-year-old office worker in the same county see the same number.
Premium is set by rating area, so a massage therapist 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland | $569 | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | $7,900 | 4 |
| Greenville | $590 | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | $7,900 | 3 |
| Anderson | $662 | First Choice Next | $6,000 | 3 |
| Edgefield | $498 | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | $6,000 | 3 |
| Fairfield | $530 | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | $6,000 | 5 |
| Newberry | $546 | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | $6,000 | 4 |
The spread across just these six is $163/month — $1,960 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 massage therapist 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
A caveat on the table above: rating is by residence, not by job site. A massage therapist living in South Carolina and working across a state line still buys South Carolina plans. A genuine permanent move does trigger a special enrollment period, but the plan year restarts with a fresh deductible.
Deduction categories that generally fit this trade: Table, oils, room rental, licensing, liability insurance. Note the ordering problem with health premiums: the §162(l) deduction lowers your AGI, and your AGI is what sets your premium tax credit, so the two calculate against each other. That is a CPA conversation and worth having before you enroll, not after.
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. South Carolina exchange plans are guaranteed issue and community rated, so a massage therapist pays exactly what anyone else of the same age in the same ZIP pays. Occupation is not on the application as a rating factor.
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.
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 Massage Therapists in South Carolina and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.