Ranked 3 of 15 states · median $636/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old occupational 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 on-your-feet work produces steady, predictable claims — routine visits, refills, physical therapy, the occasional urgent care. That profile is decided by copay design and by whether your providers are in network, not by the sticker premium, so carrier count sits alongside cost below.
Occupational context: Lifting and transfer injuries; repetitive strain.
None of that changes your price. ACA plans in South Carolina are community rated — premium varies by age, ZIP code, tobacco use and household size only. Your occupation cannot be used to rate you, decline you, or exclude a condition. What it changes is which plan design is the right bet.
Premium is set by rating area, so a occupational 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickens | $584 | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | $7,900 | 3 |
| Cherokee | $641 | First Choice Next | $6,000 | 5 |
| Horry | $497 | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | $7,900 | 3 |
| Kershaw | $518 | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | $7,900 | 5 |
| Jasper | $540 | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | $6,000 | 3 |
| Berkeley | $553 | Molina Healthcare | $7,000 | 4 |
The spread across just these six is $144/month — $1,726 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 occupational 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
Cross-state numbers are useful for understanding whether South Carolina is treating you well, not for arbitrage. You cannot buy an out-of-state exchange plan. If you are a occupational therapist weighing a relocation for other reasons, the premium difference is a real line item worth putting in the decision.
Expense categories that typically apply to this trade: Licensing, equipment, malpractice insurance, CE. Premiums are generally deductible above the line under IRC §162(l) when no employer plan is available to you or your spouse — a question for your CPA, not your agent.
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.
It cannot happen on an exchange plan. Rating in South Carolina uses four inputs only: age, ZIP code, tobacco use and how many people are on the policy. Trade, injury history and pre-existing conditions are all excluded from pricing by law.
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 21 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122) 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 occupational therapist. 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 Occupational Therapists in South Carolina and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
← Occupational Therapists in all 21 states · All occupations
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 an occupational therapist buying your own cover, who stays matters more than the headline rate.
On price the only honest number today is national: the Peterson-KFF read of 2027 filings puts the median proposed rise near 15%, spanning −1% to 54%. Final South Carolina rates are not approved, so any precise 2027 figure quoted for this state is guesswork.
The window opens November 1, 2026, and December 15 is the date worth writing down — it is what secures January 1 cover in South Carolina and everywhere else. You will find later dates quoted; they stem from a 2025 rule that was vacated in June 2026 and is under appeal.
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 an occupational therapist 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:
The sticker price is rarely what Occupational Therapists in South Carolina end up paying. Start with a ZIP and I will work out your actual number.