Health Insurance in Union County, SC: 2027 Plans, Prices & Hospitals (Union)
Three insurance companies, 39 plans, and an 18.1% price rise for the silver plan your tax credit is based on. See 2027 Union County prices by age and company, which plans include Union Medical Center, and how to choose.
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In this guide
If you buy your own health insurance in Union 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 silver plan your tax credit is based on costs $760 a month for a 40-year-old at full price before any tax credit, up from $644 in 2026 (+18.1%). Molina and UnitedHealthcare are leaving the county.
Union Medical Center is in every network sold here in our 2027 data.
Union County in 2027 at a glance
| Tax credit plan price, age 40 | $760 a month, up 18.1% from $644 in 2026 (statewide average +24.8%) |
|---|---|
| Plan your tax credit is based on | First Choice Next Silver Signature, First Choice Next |
| Insurance companies | Ambetter from Absolute Total Care, BlueCross BlueShield of SC, First Choice Next. Molina and UnitedHealthcare are leaving. |
| Plans | 39 |
| Tax credit plan price, ages 27 and 60 | $623 and $1,614 a month |
| Cheapest bronze, age 40 | $558 a month, First Choice Next Bronze Essential, First Choice Next |
| Cheapest gold, age 40 | $736 a month, First Choice Next Gold Enhanced, First Choice Next |
| 2026 sign-ups | 2,955 (2025 population 26,799) |
Full monthly prices before any tax credit. Source: Murdock Insurance Group analysis of 2027 South Carolina Marketplace plan data.
2027 prices by age and insurance company
One silver plan in the county sets the size of your tax credit, and its price rose 18.1% at every age.
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| Age | 2026 monthly price | 2027 monthly price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | $528 | $623 | +18.1% |
| 40 | $644 | $760 | +18.1% |
| 60 | $1,367 | $1,614 | +18.1% |
Full-price monthly premium before any tax credit for the second-lowest-cost silver plan in Union County. This is the plan your tax credit is based on.
Each insurance company's lowest-priced plan at each metal level:
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| Insurance company | Lowest-priced plan at | Age 27 | Age 40 | Age 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlueCross BlueShield of SC | Bronze | $472 | $575 | $1,221 |
| BlueCross BlueShield of SC | Silver | $681 | $830 | $1,763 |
| BlueCross BlueShield of SC | Gold | $720 | $878 | $1,865 |
| First Choice Next | Bronze | $458 | $558 | $1,185 |
| First Choice Next | Silver | $597 | $728 | $1,546 |
| First Choice Next | Gold | $604 | $736 | $1,563 |
| Ambetter | Bronze | $524 | $639 | $1,357 |
| Ambetter | Silver | $630 | $768 | $1,631 |
| Ambetter | Gold | $673 | $821 | $1,744 |
Full-price monthly premiums before any tax credit in Union County. Bronze includes expanded bronze. Age-40 prices are from plan data; ages 27 and 60 apply the federal default age curve (1.048 and 2.714 vs. 1.278 at age 40), which matches the figures in the same data for the plan your tax credit is based on.
First Choice Next has the lowest silver price, $728 at age 40, which is $32 below the plan your tax credit is based on. Your tax credit is set by that $760 plan. So if you get a tax credit and pick the lower-priced silver, you pay a little less than the $760 plan's price after your tax credit. The cheapest gold plan, First Choice Next Gold Enhanced at $736, costs $24 less than the silver plan your tax credit is based on.
What changed in Union County for 2027
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 its 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 changed. In 2026 it was First Choice Next Silver Essential. In 2027 it is First Choice Next Silver Signature. The company is the same, but the plan and its price are different, and your tax credit moves with that plan. That is why we tell clients not to auto-renew without checking.
Local hospitals and which plans include them
The table also lists hospitals in neighboring counties from our network data.
| Hospital | BCBS EPO | Ambetter | First Choice Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Medical CenterUnion County | In network | In network | In network |
| MUSC Health Chester Medical CenterChester County | In network | Not in network | In network |
| Spartanburg Medical CenterSpartanburg County | In network | In network | In network |
| Cherokee Medical Center (Gaffney)Cherokee County | In network | In network | In network |
- Union Medical CenterUnion CountyIn network: BCBS EPO, Ambetter, First Choice Next.
- MUSC Health Chester Medical CenterChester CountyIn network: BCBS EPO, First Choice Next. Not in network: Ambetter.
- Spartanburg Medical CenterSpartanburg CountyIn network: BCBS EPO, Ambetter, First Choice Next.
- Cherokee Medical Center (Gaffney)Cherokee CountyIn network: BCBS EPO, Ambetter, First Choice Next.
Networks and drug lists can change; we verify with the insurance company before you enroll. Last verified: November 2026.
- The BCBS EPO includes all four hospitals on this list.
- Ambetter includes Union Medical Center, Spartanburg Medical Center and Cherokee Medical Center but not MUSC Health Chester Medical Center.
- First Choice Next includes all four hospitals on this list.
Which plan fits your situation
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 $558 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 $728 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 $736 at age 40, $24 less than the silver 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 Union 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 companies against your doctors and prescriptions.
Common questions
The silver plan your tax credit is based on is $760 a month for a 40-year-old at full price before any tax credit, $623 for a 27-year-old and $1,614 for a 60-year-old. The cheapest bronze is $558 at age 40. In 2026 the average enrollee here paid $116 a month after tax credits.
In our 2027 network data, the BCBS EPO, Ambetter and First Choice Next include it.
Molina has no 2027 plans here, so pick a new plan by December 15, 2026 for a January 1 start. We can match your doctors and prescriptions to the three remaining insurance companies.
UnitedHealthcare has no 2027 plans here, so pick a new plan by December 15, 2026 for a January 1 start. We can match your doctors and prescriptions to the three remaining insurance companies.
Open enrollment on HealthCare.gov runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage starting January 1; enrollments from December 16 to January 15 start February 1. Our 2027 open enrollment guide has every date.
Get your Union County comparison
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 Spartanburg County, York County and Cherokee County.
Sources
- FAQ: Health Insurance Marketplace Deadlines for 2027 Coverage (HealthCare Insider)
- How Will the Loss of Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Affect Older Adults? (KFF)
- Guidance Regarding Age Curves and State Reporting (CMS/HHS)
- Murdock Insurance Group analysis of PY2027 SC Marketplace rate filings / plan data (county market data, plan benefits, hospital network matrix and marker-drug formulary check)
Prices are full-price monthly premiums for the stated age, before subsidies, from Murdock Insurance Group analysis of PY2027 SC Marketplace plan data. Your actual cost depends on your age, income, household size, tobacco use and the plan you choose. Ages 27 and 60 for individual carriers are calculated from the age-40 price using the federal default age curve. Networks and drug lists can change; we verify with the carrier before you enroll. Last verified: November 2026. Murdock Insurance Group is a licensed independent insurance agency. We are not affiliated with HealthCare.gov or any government agency.
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Nearby county guides: Spartanburg, York, Cherokee. All county guides.