Who is leaving, what's left in your county, and what to do before the deadline. Last checked October 5, 2026.
No insurance company is confirmed as leaving the South Carolina marketplace for 2027, but one is in question.
In 2026, 6 companies sold South Carolina marketplace plans: Ambetter (Centene), BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, First Choice Next, InStil Health, Molina and UnitedHealthcare.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber, licensed to broker health insurance in 36 states, South Carolina included. After reviewing every insurer participating in South Carolina's marketplace this year, I couldn't find a confirmed or reported departure for 2027. Molina, however, remains an important unanswered question for its members.
Molina's participation in South Carolina's 2027 marketplace is disputed. Its rate filing contains conflicting signals. One section indicates marketplace customers cannot transfer into its off-marketplace coverage, suggesting a possible withdrawal. Yet the filing also includes pricing for marketplace-only plans. Neither Molina nor the state has clarified the situation, so I won't present either outcome as certain.
If Molina covers you, here's my advice: pay attention to incoming mail. You should receive notices from both Molina and the marketplace by November 1, and those will clarify what happens to your household's coverage. Also check HealthCare.gov's 2027 plan preview when it opens in late October. Search your county and confirm whether Molina appears.
Molina participated in 37 of South Carolina's 46 counties during 2026. Even if its disputed withdrawal happens, every county would retain more than one insurer. Aiken, Beaufort, Lexington, Sumter, Greenwood and Jasper, near Hardeeville, would each fall from 3 companies to 2. Charleston and Columbia would drop from 4 to 3. Counties around Greenville and Spartanburg in the Upstate, along with coastal Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, didn't offer Molina marketplace plans in the first place.
Imagine a Beaufort charter boat captain who enrolled with Molina last fall. There's no reason for him to change coverage immediately. Instead, he should review both notices as soon as they arrive. If his plan is ending, he needs to choose among the remaining Beaufort County insurers before December 15.
Because Molina offered HMOs in South Carolina, marketplace PPO availability stays the same whether it leaves or remains.
Different state? Pick yours here.
No South Carolina county loses a marketplace insurer for 2027 from a confirmed exit.
On the marketplace, PPO plans were sold in 46 of South Carolina's 46 counties in 2026. They come from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.
Molina sold marketplace plans in 37 of South Carolina's 46 counties in 2026. This table shows those counties as they would look without it. In that case 37 of South Carolina's 46 counties lose at least one marketplace insurer.
| County | Insurer leaving | Insurers left | Who's left (2026 plans) | Marketplace PPO after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Aiken | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Allendale | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Bamberg | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Barnwell | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Beaufort | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Berkeley | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next | Yes |
| Calhoun | Molina | 4 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Charleston | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next | Yes |
| Cherokee | Molina | 4 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Chester | Molina | 4 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Chesterfield | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; InStil Health | Yes |
| Clarendon | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Colleton | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Darlington | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; InStil Health | Yes |
| Dillon | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next | Yes |
| Dorchester | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next | Yes |
| Edgefield | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Fairfield | Molina | 4 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Florence | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; InStil Health | Yes |
| Greenwood | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Hampton | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Jasper | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Kershaw | Molina | 4 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Lancaster | Molina | 4 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Lee | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Lexington | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Marion | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next | Yes |
| Marlboro | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| McCormick | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Newberry | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Richland | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next | Yes |
| Saluda | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Sumter | Molina | 2 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Yes |
| Union | Molina | 4 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; First Choice Next; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| Williamsburg | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; UnitedHealthcare | Yes |
| York | Molina | 3 | Ambetter (Centene); BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; InStil Health | Yes |
County data: CMS 2026 marketplace plan data source. Insurers are counted by company, and the table uses each company's 2026 service area, so a company that enters or expands for 2027 isn't counted yet. I'll update it when the 2027 plan list publishes in late October.
Your coverage doesn't end immediately just because the insurer is leaving. The existing policy continues through December 31, 2026, and you're entitled to written notice beforehand. Federal requirements call for at least 90 calendar days of notice when an insurer discontinues a plan, or at least 180 calendar days when it withdraws completely from a state's individual market. Haven't received anything yet? Contact your insurer and request the notice.
Here's where people often misunderstand the process. Under federal regulation 45 CFR 155.335, the marketplace may place you with another insurer when your current company has no remaining marketplace plan. That's permission, not a guarantee. State law and the regulator's instructions govern the transfer. Without specific direction, the marketplace chooses a "similar" plan. The regulation doesn't require anyone to verify that your doctors or medications are covered.
Purchased your coverage directly from the insurer rather than through the marketplace? Its automatic re-enrollment provisions don't apply to your policy. You'll have to select replacement coverage on your own.
HealthCare.gov opens enrollment November 1. You should receive 2 notices by that point, one from your insurer and another from the marketplace. The marketplace notice identifies any replacement plan you'll be placed in if you haven't acted by December 15. HealthCare.gov also warns that automatic re-enrollment doesn't happen in every situation.
Choose your replacement no later than December 15 to begin coverage January 1. Enrolling from December 16 through January 15 gives you a February 1 effective date. If your previous policy ends December 31, that means going without coverage for January.
You might still qualify to enroll after the regular window closes. HealthCare.gov recognizes discontinued coverage as a qualifying event, and federal regulations allow 60 days before and 60 days after your old plan's termination to select replacement coverage. I wouldn't rely on that as your first choice. Make sure you're eligible before planning around those dates.
The way I'd approach this depends on your particular situation and where things stand for you. Whichever route makes sense, the next step is the same: let's talk on the phone before the deadline.
If your income puts you outside the tax credit range, you're responsible for the entire marketplace premium, with your choices limited to the insurers serving your county. That's when I'd also consider private coverage. Medically underwritten plans use nationwide PPO networks, and their pricing reflects your health. Healthy applicants may pay less than the marketplace's unsubsidized rate. There are tradeoffs: insurers ask medical questions and can reject an application or exclude a preexisting condition. We'll review those details together before you decide.
Next step: Give me a call, and I'll compare a nationwide PPO quote for your household with the marketplace coverage offered in your South Carolina county.
Regardless of which insurers remain on your county's marketplace, I can help you obtain a nationwide PPO in South Carolina. On the marketplace, PPO plans were sold in 46 of South Carolina's 46 counties in 2026. They come from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.
For healthy people paying the entire marketplace premium, it's worth comparing private, medically underwritten PPO coverage. These plans offer networks extending nationwide. I carry health insurance licenses in 36 states, including South Carolina.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
No insurance company is confirmed as leaving the South Carolina marketplace for 2027. Whether Molina is leaving the South Carolina marketplace is disputed: its 2027 filing says marketplace members cannot be moved to its off-marketplace plans, yet the same filing prices plans sold on the marketplace. Check the letter you get in November.
Possibly, but there's no guarantee. Federal rules permit the marketplace to assign a comparable plan from another insurer when state law and regulators allow it. HealthCare.gov specifically cautions that automatic re-enrollment isn't always available. And if your current coverage was purchased outside the marketplace, that process won't apply. My advice is to choose your replacement yourself.
To start coverage January 1 through HealthCare.gov, enroll by December 15. You have until January 15 before open enrollment ends, but selecting a plan after December 15 means it won't take effect until February 1.
Yes. I can help you find a nationwide PPO available in South Carolina. On the marketplace, PPO plans were sold in 46 of South Carolina's 46 counties in 2026. They come from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.
Last checked October 5, 2026. I update this page when the 2027 plan list publishes in late October.
Call me with your county, the people who need coverage and the details of your notice. I'll compare the remaining South Carolina marketplace plans with a nationwide PPO quote and help you decide before enrollment ends. I'm licensed in 36 states, and we can handle everything by phone.
Every state on the list, and guides for South Carolina