South Carolina Health Insurance Help for Families and the Self-Employed

Reviewed by Steve Turner, CLU, REBC · South Carolina License 18030539 · NPN 18030539 · November 2026

I’m Steve Turner, a licensed health insurance agent and broker, and I’m licensed in South Carolina. My office is in Tampa, Florida, and I work with South Carolina clients from the Upstate to the Lowcountry by phone, video, and secure e-signature, on Eastern time like you. The insurance companies pay my commission, so my help costs you nothing, and you pay the same premium you’d pay if you bought directly.

If you buy your own health insurance in South Carolina, 2027 is a year to compare carefully. Prices are up sharply, the state hasn’t expanded Medicaid, and the right answer for your kids may be different from the right answer for you.

Buying your own plan on HealthCare.gov

South Carolina uses the federal Marketplace, so you buy individual and family plans through HealthCare.gov.

• 2027 open enrollment: November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage starting January 1.
• Premiums are up about 22% on average for 2027, before subsidies, one of the country’s larger increases.
• Six insurers, no exits. Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Ambetter (Absolute Total Care), Molina, Select Health, UnitedHealthcare and InStil Health all return for 2027. Coverage areas differ by county.
• Subsidies are smaller than in 2025. The extra federal help ended after 2025. Households earning more than four times the poverty level no longer qualify, and most others get less, so an accurate income estimate matters.
• Don’t let your plan auto-renew without comparing. With prices rising this much, a different metal level or insurer may cost you less.

I’m appointed with Ambetter in South Carolina and can enroll you in its plans. I’ll also show you how they compare with the other insurers in your county, and if another company’s plan fits you better, I’ll tell you so you can choose with the full picture.

Medicaid and Partners for Healthy Children

South Carolina hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Its Medicaid program, Healthy Connections, covers children, pregnant women, people with disabilities and parents with very low incomes, but most adults without children don’t qualify at any income. Adults below the poverty line usually can’t get Marketplace subsidies either. If you’re in that gap, I’ll tell you plainly rather than sell you something you can’t afford.

Partners for Healthy Children covers children under 19 in families earning up to about twice the poverty level, with no premiums. Kids often qualify while parents need a Marketplace plan, and I’ll help you set up both.

Self-employed in South Carolina

If you’re a contractor, real estate agent, rideshare driver, or small-business owner, your subsidy is based on your expected net income for the year. Estimate too low, and you may owe some back at tax time; too high, and you overpay every month. I’ll help you build a realistic number and choose a plan that fits.

I’m also licensed to sell life insurance in South Carolina, if you want to protect your family’s income while reviewing your coverage.

How working with me from Tampa works

• Phone or video, seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Same time zone as you.
• E-signature for everything. No printing, no fax.
• Doctors first. I check your doctors, hospital (Prisma Health, MUSC, Roper St. Francis, McLeod, or wherever you go), and prescriptions before we talk price.
• I stay your agent after you enroll, for claims, billing problems, income changes, and moves.

South Carolina questions

Is South Carolina expanding Medicaid? No. South Carolina hasn’t expanded Medicaid, so most adults without children don’t qualify for Healthy Connections, regardless of income.

My kids qualify for Healthy Connections, but I don’t. What do I do? That’s common. Your children can enroll in Partners for Healthy Children, and you can buy a Marketplace plan for the adults. You can apply for both on one HealthCare.gov application.

You’re in Florida. Can you really help me in South Carolina? Yes. I’m licensed by the South Carolina Department of Insurance (license 18030539), and I work with South Carolina clients by phone, video, and e-signature. You can verify my license before we talk.

Talk with Steve

Call or text (813) 388-8373, seven days a week, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Eastern, or book a call.

Related: Individual & family health insurance · All areas we serve