Health Insurance in Chester County, SC: 2027 Plans, Prices & Hospitals (Chester)

If you buy your own health insurance in Chester County, you have three Marketplace insurance companies to choose from for 2027: Ambetter from Absolute Total Care, BlueCross BlueShield of SC and First Choice Next. Together they offer 39 plans. The plan your tax credit is based on costs $758 a month for a 40-year-old at full price before tax credits, up from $596 in 2026 (+27.2%). Molina and UnitedHealthcare are leaving the county.

MUSC Health Chester Medical Center is in the BCBS EPO and First Choice Next but not Ambetter.

One silver plan sets the size of your tax credit. Its price rose 27.2% at every age.

Each insurance company's lowest-priced plan at each metal level:

First Choice Next has the lowest silver price, $727 at age 40. That is $31 below the plan your tax credit is based on. Your tax credit is tied to that $758 plan, so if you get a tax credit and pick the lower-priced silver plan, you pay a little less than you would for that plan after your tax credit. The cheapest gold plan, First Choice Next Gold Enhanced at $734, costs $24 less than the plan your tax credit is based on.

Molina is leaving. Molina sold 12 plans here in 2026 and has none for 2027, so Molina members need a new plan. Our article on Molina's exit walks through the options.

UnitedHealthcare is leaving. UnitedHealthcare sold 17 plans here in 2026 and has none for 2027. Our UnitedHealthcare exit guide covers what happens to UnitedHealthcare members.

Plan counts changed. Ambetter went from 9 plans to 17; BCBS went from 22 plans to 14; First Choice Next stays at 8 plans. Every BCBS plan here uses its statewide BlueEssentials or BlueConnect EPO network.

The plan your tax credit is based on now comes from a different company. In 2026 it was Ambetter Focused Silver. In 2027 it is First Choice Next Silver Signature. When that plan changes, your tax credit changes with it. That is why we tell clients not to auto-renew without checking.

The table also lists hospitals in neighboring counties from our network data.

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

• The BCBS EPO includes all three hospitals on this list.
• Ambetter includes MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center but not MUSC Health Chester Medical Center or Piedmont Medical Center Rock Hill.
• First Choice Next includes all three hospitals on this list.

Every plan here is an HMO except the BCBS BlueEssentials and BlueConnect EPOs; the SC Marketplace has no PPOs. Neither type covers out-of-network care except emergencies.

You rarely see a doctor and want the lowest premium. First Choice Next Bronze Essential is the cheapest plan at $556 for a 40-year-old, but its $12,000 deductible equals its yearly limit on what you pay, so beyond preventive care it pays little until you spend $12,000. It includes every hospital in the table above.

You want the lowest silver price. First Choice Next Silver Essential is $727 at age 40, with a $5,000 deductible, a $12,000 yearly limit on what you pay, $30 primary care visits and $5 generics. It also includes every hospital in the table.

You expect regular care and want a low deductible. First Choice Next Gold Enhanced is $734 at age 40, $24 less than the plan your tax credit is based on, with a $1,000 deductible, a $10,000 yearly limit on what you pay, $35 primary care visits and $5 generics. It also includes every hospital in the table.

You want the widest choice of SC hospitals. BCBS's BlueEssentials and BlueConnect plans use a statewide EPO network, which can matter if you get care outside the county. Every BCBS plan in Chester County uses it.

Your income is lower. Below 250% of the federal poverty level, silver plans come with cost-sharing reductions that lower the deductible and the yearly limit on what you pay. Our cost-sharing reductions guide explains how it works.

Call us and we will compare all three insurance companies against your doctors and prescriptions.

With Molina and UnitedHealthcare leaving and a new plan setting your tax credit, compare before you renew for 2027. Tell us your ZIP, ages, household and income, and a licensed agent will price every plan against your doctors and drugs. For the statewide picture, start with our 2027 South Carolina health insurance guide or the 2027 rate changes by county. Nearby, see York County, Fairfield County and Lancaster County.