Bronze vs. Silver vs. Gold in South Carolina for 2027: Which Metal Level Saves You More?

Bronze plans have the lowest premiums and the highest costs when you get care. Gold plans cost more each month but pay more of your bills. Silver sits in the middle, and it's the only metal level that comes with cost-sharing reductions if your income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. For 2027, in 10 South Carolina counties, the cheapest gold plan costs less than the benchmark silver plan, so many people who would normally pick silver should look at gold first.

Metal levels describe how a plan splits costs for an average population, not the quality of care. Every level covers the same essential health benefits, and the network depends on the plan, not the metal.

Many SC bronze plans are "expanded bronze," which can cover some services before the deductible. See our expanded bronze guide.

Whatever you choose, a 2027 Marketplace plan can't have an in-network out-of-pocket maximum above $12,000 for one person or $24,000 for a family.

The cheapest bronze, benchmark silver and cheapest gold plans in Spartanburg for 2027, at full-price monthly premiums for a 40-year-old, before subsidies:

The gold plan costs $24 a month less than the silver plan and has a deductible $5,400 lower. Unless you qualify for cost-sharing reductions, it's hard to make a case for the silver plan here.

Full-price monthly premium for a 40-year-old, before subsidies. In all ten, the cheaper gold is First Choice Next Gold Enhanced. In nine, the benchmark is First Choice Next Silver Signature; in Pickens, it's BlueCross's Blue Reedy Standard Silver.

In eight more counties, the cheapest gold is within a few dollars of benchmark silver: Calhoun ($666 vs. $664), Orangeburg ($648 vs. $646), Charleston ($711 vs. $705), Lexington ($710 vs. $704), Aiken ($678 vs. $671), Florence ($699 vs. $692), Dillon ($696 vs. $683) and Chesterfield ($758 vs. $737). In all but Chesterfield, that gold plan is First Choice Next Gold Enhanced. In Chesterfield, it's InStil's InHealth Basic Plus Standard.

Your premium tax credit is based on the benchmark silver plan, but you can use it on any metal level. Whatever the credit is, it comes off every plan's price by the same dollar amount, down to a $0 premium. So if gold costs less than silver before the credit, it still costs less after.

A single 40-year-old in Spartanburg earning $55,000 (345% FPL) would get a credit of about $292 a month. Her net premiums:

• Bronze: about $266 a month
• Benchmark silver: about $468 a month
• Gold: about $444 a month

Above 400% FPL ($63,840 for one person in 2027), there's no credit, and you pay the full prices above. The enhanced credits expired after 2025, so this cliff is back for 2027 unless Congress acts.

If your household income is at or below 250% FPL ($39,900 for one person or $82,500 for a family of four in 2027), you can get a silver plan with cost-sharing reductions. These lower the deductible, copays and out-of-pocket max, and they're only available on silver plans bought through the Marketplace.

On average, a CSR silver plan pays:

• 94% of costs between 100% and 150% FPL
• 87% between 150% and 200% FPL
• 73% between 200% and 250% FPL

At 94% or 87%, a CSR silver plan pays more than a typical gold plan (about 80%), so silver is often the best value for lower-income households, even in counties where gold is cheaper at full price. At 200% to 250% FPL, the boost is smaller, so compare silver and gold side by side.

Take a single 40-year-old in Spartanburg earning $30,000 (188% FPL). Her credit would be about $606 a month, so she could pay:

• $0 for the cheapest bronze
• About $130 for gold
• About $155 for benchmark silver, with the 87% cost-sharing boost

For someone who sees a doctor regularly, that silver plan's lower out-of-pocket costs can more than cover the $24 a month difference. Read more in why silver can be the best deal under 250% FPL.

Bronze fits if you're healthy, rarely use care and can handle a large bill if something happens. In Richland County, Blue Congaree Bronze 2 is $471 a month (age 40, before subsidies) against $685 for benchmark silver. But its $10,600 deductible equals its out-of-pocket max, so you pay for nearly everything until you reach it.

Two bronze perks for 2027:

• HSA eligibility. Since 2026, bronze plans count as HSA-compatible. See our HSA-eligible plans guide.
• Large credits can make bronze free. For lower-income or older enrollees, the credit can cover the entire bronze premium.

Full-price monthly premium for a 40-year-old, before subsidies:

In Richland, compare deductibles along with premiums. Blue Congaree Gold 1 costs $40 a month more than the benchmark Blue Congaree Silver 1, but its deductible is $250 instead of $7,000.

A cheaper gold plan only saves money if your doctors take it. In Lexington, First Choice Next Gold Enhanced is the cheapest gold, but our 2027 network data shows Lexington Medical Center isn't in the First Choice Next network. In Richland, Prisma Health Richland and Prisma Health Baptist aren't in the Blue Congaree HMO network, though they are on the BlueCross statewide EPO and Ambetter. See our doctor and prescription checklist and our Lexington Medical Center and Prisma Health guides.

Our agents run these comparisons for clients across the state every Open Enrollment, and because carriers pay us, there's no cost to you.