Ambetter from Absolute Total Care 2027 Review: Plans, "SC" Plan Variants & Network

Ambetter from Absolute Total Care sells 17 Marketplace plans in each of South Carolina's 46 counties for 2027, and it sets the benchmark silver price in 23 counties, more than any other carrier. Every Ambetter plan is an HMO. Each plan comes in two versions, such as "Signature Silver" and "Signature Silver SC." The two versions have the same deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket limits, but they are sold in different counties (33 standard, 13 "SC") and priced separately.

If you had Molina in 2026, compare Ambetter: it is sold in all 37 SC counties Molina left. Our 2027 Marketplace guide covers every carrier.

The benchmark is the second-lowest-cost silver plan in your county. Your premium tax credit is calculated from it, so when Ambetter is the benchmark, its silver price drives the subsidy for everyone in that county.

On HealthCare.gov you may see two Ambetter plans with nearly identical names, like "Signature Silver" in Bamberg County and "Signature Silver SC" in Abbeville County. They are not typos. Ambetter files each of its 17 plan designs twice, with separate plan IDs:

• The standard version is sold in 33 counties.
• The "SC" version is sold in the other 13 counties.

In the 2027 plan data, the two versions have identical deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, copays and drug tiers. What differs is the county list and the rates, and the spread is wide. For a 40-year-old at full price, Ambetter's lowest-priced silver plan runs from $587 a month in Abbeville to $1,097 in York, and both are "SC" counties.

Counties we can confirm use the "SC" versions include Abbeville, Charleston, Greenwood, Laurens, Lee, Oconee and York. Ask us and we'll confirm which version is sold in your county.

When you shop:

1. The name you see depends on your county. If you move, your renewal may map to the other version.
2. Compare by plan ID and price, not just by name. Same benefits, different premiums.
3. Recheck before you auto-renew. Two of the three counties where an "SC" plan is the benchmark saw some of the largest increases in the state. Lee County's benchmark rose 46.8%, the largest in South Carolina, and Charleston County's rose 38.5%, the third largest.

Ambetter's lineup is nine core plan designs, eight of which also come in a "+ Vision + Adult Dental" version. The lowest price shown is the full-price monthly premium for a 40-year-old, before subsidies, in the lowest-priced county for the standard version. Your price will be higher in many counties, and your actual cost depends on age, income, household and tobacco use.

The Elite plans: $0 deductible

Elite Bronze and Elite Gold both have a $0 deductible. Elite Gold pairs that with a $25 primary care copay and an $8,150 out-of-pocket maximum, which can suit people who expect regular care and want predictable costs. Elite Bronze keeps the $0 deductible but has a much higher $11,800 out-of-pocket limit. We compare these against other carriers in our $0 deductible plans guide.

Dental and vision versions

Every core plan except Streamlined Silver has a "+ Vision + Adult Dental" twin with the same medical benefits. In the lowest-priced county, the bundle adds about $14 to $20 a month at full price. Children's dental and vision are already included in every Marketplace plan as essential health benefits.

Silver and cost-sharing reductions

If your income is under 250% of the federal poverty level, a silver plan can come with cost-sharing reductions that shrink the deductible. Our guide to cost-sharing reductions explains how. All of Ambetter's bronze plans are "expanded bronze"; see what expanded bronze means.

Prices are full-price monthly premiums for a 40-year-old, before subsidies.

• Beaufort County had the smallest benchmark increase in the state (+11.0%), and Ambetter is the benchmark there.
• Every county where Ambetter has the lowest-priced gold is also a county where it sets the benchmark. In those 17 counties, Ambetter's Signature Gold is only about $27 to $35 a month more than the benchmark silver at full price.
• In the Midlands, Ambetter is the benchmark in Kershaw, Fairfield, Newberry, Saluda and Calhoun. In Richland and Lexington, a BlueCross regional HMO is the benchmark instead.

For every county, see our 2027 rate changes by county.

Ambetter plans are HMOs, so outside of emergencies you need to use in-network providers. (See HMO vs EPO in South Carolina.) Ambetter's 2027 network at major SC hospitals:

For Midlands families in Irmo, Lexington and Columbia, Ambetter includes both Lexington Medical Center and Prisma Health's Columbia hospitals, which BlueEssentials also does. Charleston-area residents who use Roper St. Francis, and York County residents who use Piedmont, will want to look elsewhere. More detail: which plans cover Prisma Health and which plans cover MUSC Health.

On drugs, Ambetter lists Ozempic and Mounjaro as preferred brands with quantity limits. Wegovy and Zepbound are not on any carrier's 2027 SC formulary, and Xolair is not on Ambetter's. See our GLP-1 coverage guide.

Networks and drug lists can change; we verify with the carrier before you enroll. Last verified: November 2026.

• Former Molina members in any of the 37 counties Molina left. See our Molina guide.
• Rural households where Ambetter is the benchmark and has the lowest gold, such as Marion, Williamsburg, Jasper and McCormick.
• People who want gold-level cost sharing or a $0 deductible without a large jump over silver.
• Midlands residents who use both Lexington Medical Center and Prisma Health.

Open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1. Enhanced premium tax credits expired after 2025, and for 2027 the credit is generally limited to households between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level unless Congress acts, so check your actual subsidy. Our agents can show every Ambetter plan in your county next to BlueCross, First Choice Next and any other carrier there.