What insurance companies are on the federal marketplace in South Carolina?

Let’s clear up one point that confuses many people:
The federal government does not offer health insurance as part of Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act simply sets the rules surrounding how health insurance will work and what it covers, and it provides premium tax credits (subsidies to help pay premiums) for those who are eligible.
The health insurance plans available in the federal marketplace at healthcare .gov are provided by private health insurance companies. Those companies choose whether or not they want to participate in the government marketplace, and they decide on a state by state basis.

Companies on the Federal Marketplace in South Carolina

Assurant Health.

Assurant is a national carrier with a very strong nationwide network of providers. But they are dramatically more expensive than the other health insurance carriers in the South Carolina Marketplace.

BlueChoice Health Plan.

Think of them as the younger brother of Blue Cross Blue Shield. BlueChoice offers very robust coverage and access to the national Blue Cross network. One noteworthy advantage: You won’t find a more comprehensive office visit copay in South Carolina. They also include some vision and dental coverage in their plans.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina

BCBS is the dominant carrier in the South Carolina market – well over half of the health insurance market in the state is with them. Like BlueChoice, they have a large network in the state and access to the Blue Cross Blue Shield network elsewhere.

CoventryOne 

Coventry is now a subsidiary of Aetna. They only sell in select counties, mostly in higher population areas. They are often one of the cheapest carriers in the state. The tradeoff for price is a much smaller provider network. Coventry tends to select one hospital system in a given area (county) with whom it works very closely.

Consumers Choice

Consumers Choice was brand new to the health insurance market (and industry) in 2014. It is a non-profit collective that was started with a loan from the federal government under a provision of the Affordable Care Act. They are competitively priced but there is no network out of state for non-emergency healthcare.

[button url=”https://acforrest.com/obamacare-open-enrollment/”]Get quotes and enroll in the Marketplace here[/button]

Are there options outside the Obamacare marketplace?

All of the companies listed above have plans available both on and off of the federal marketplace. The only reason you should ever have to interact with the federal marketplace system is if you want to apply for a premium tax credit (subsidy).
Most carriers offer all of their plans both on and off the marketplace, though some have plans that are only available off of the marketplace. The prices are the same both on and off the federal exchange, and we are equipped to help you in both settings.
There is at least one insurance carrier selling individual health insurance policies in South Carolina that is only available off of the federal marketplace:
UnitedHealthOne (sometimes known as Golden Rule Insurance or UnitedHealthcare). They are the largest health insurance company in the nation. They only offer coverage outside the Marketplace in South Carolina, and are not really competitive on price.

Next: How Do I Apply for Obamacare Plans during Open Enrollment?

If you have questions, you’re welcome to contact us anytime.