ACA plans available
60
Plan year 2026
CMS Marketplace county · plan year 2026
Dorchester, South Carolina ACA premiums
County-level marketplace aggregates from CMS Public Use Files. Listed rates are age-27 premiums unless noted.
Data updated 2026-08-30
- $512
- Silver avg/mo
- 60
- ACA plans
- 4
- Issuers
- +23.7%
- YoY premium
Silver avg $512/mo
Dorchester, South Carolina has 60 ACA marketplace plans from 4 issuers (plan year 2026). Average Silver premium is $512/mo; Bronze averages $391/mo and Gold $541/mo. Figures are CMS Marketplace Public Use File county aggregates for age-27 rates.
- County Silver corpus place #1802 of 2055 (highest = #1)
- Benchmark (2nd-lowest Silver) $464/mo
- Plan year 2026 CMS PUF
Silver rank is not plan-count rank
According to CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, Dorchester, South Carolina ranks #1,802 of 2,055 counties by listed Silver average ($512/mo) and #353 of 2,055 by plan count (60 plans).
- #1,802 of 2,055
- Silver average among 2,055 counties
- $512
- Listed Silver average /mo
- #353 of 2,055
- Plan count among 2,055 counties
- 60
- Listed ACA plans in this county
Highest listed Silver average = #1. Most listed plans = #1. County of residence still governs which plans CMS files for that FIPS.
Dorchester, South Carolina offers 60 ACA marketplace plans from 4 issuers for plan year 2026. Bronze plans start at $313/mo and Silver plans start at $463/mo (age 27 listed rates). Use the tables below to compare premiums, deductibles, and issuers across all metal tiers.
$512
Avg Silver Premium/mo
$464
Benchmark Premium/mo
+23.7%
Year-over-Year Change
$5,186
Avg Deductible
Lower-premium band
Dorchester in the lower-premium third
$512/mo Silver avg sits in the bottom third of tracked federal-marketplace counties. Corpus place #1802 of 2055 (highest Silver = #1).
Floor-to-ceiling Silver runs $463–$608/mo. HMO is the most common network type in Dorchester, with EPO and PPO rounding out the alternatives.
Source: CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, plan year 2026. Informational only; confirm options at HealthCare.gov. How we place counties.
Premiums by Metal Level
Bronze-tier cards fold CMS Expanded Bronze into Bronze (same population as county_trends and methodology). Plan rows and the premium-vs-deductible chart below keep the CMS source label.
Bronze
18 plans$391/mo avg
$313 - $451
Silver
23 plans$512/mo avg
$463 - $608
Gold
19 plans$541/mo avg
$486 - $625
Benchmark premium & subsidies
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Dorchester is $464/mo for a 27-year-old. This is the amount used to calculate your premium tax credit. If your expected contribution (based on income) is less than the benchmark, you receive a subsidy for the difference.
Issuers in market
4
Competitive market
Benchmark Silver
$464 /mo
Sets your subsidy ceiling
Avg deductible
$5,186
Across all metal tiers
B
Marketplace Access Score
70/100
Dorchester
Based on benchmark premium, plan and issuer counts, and average deductible across 2,055 tracked ACA marketplace counties, not plan quality, network adequacy, or provider access.
Affordability A
$464/mo
Benchmark Silver premium; rank #1802 of 2055 tracked counties (cheapest first)
Plan Choice A-
60 plans
ACA marketplace plan count; rank #353 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Issuer Competition B-
4 issuers
Distinct marketplace issuers; rank #672 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Cost Predictability F
$5,186
Average deductible across tracked plans; rank #749 of 2055 tracked counties (lowest first)
Dorchester ACA plans by premium and deductible
Each marker is the Dorchester average for one metal tier, monthly premium (age 27) plotted against the average annual deductible, both computed directly from this county's plans. The classic ACA tradeoff is visible: lower-premium Bronze tiers carry the highest deductibles, while Gold and Platinum invert it.
Dorchester ACA marketplace plans: premium vs deductible
How Dorchester's Silver premium compares nationwide
2,055 federal-marketplace counties with a tracked Silver average, banded by monthly premium.
Dorchester vs 2,055 tracked counties
Average Silver premium (age 27), CMS Marketplace Public Use Files
$512 1802nd of 2055 higher than 253 of 2,055 counties
Counties, banded by average Silver premium
Each bar is a $1-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Marketplace Public Use Files · 2026-08-30
Issuers in Dorchester
| Issuer | Plans | Avg Premium (Age 27) |
|---|---|---|
| BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | 31 | $484/mo |
| Molina Healthcare | 12 | $491/mo |
| Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | 9 | $448/mo |
| First Choice Next | 8 | $521/mo |
All Plans in Dorchester
| Plan Name | Metal | Type | Premium (27) | Premium (40) | Deductible | OOP Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cooper Bronze 2 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Bronze | HMO | $312.66 | $381.28 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| First Choice Next Bronze Essential First Choice Next | Bronze | HMO | $415.46 | $506.64 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| Blue Cooper Standard Expanded Bronze BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $325.02 | $396.35 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Blue Cooper Bronze 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $327.38 | $399.23 | $7,900 | $9,500 |
| Blue VirtuConnect Bronze 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $358.63 | $437.33 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| BlueEssentials Standard Expanded Bronze BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $365.31 | $445.48 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| BlueEssentials Bronze 4 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $365.43 | $445.63 | $7,200 | $10,000 |
| Everyday Bronze Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $381.55 | $465.29 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| Standard Expanded Bronze Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $382.66 | $466.65 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| BlueExtend PPO Standard Expanded Bronze BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $392.67 | $478.85 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Everyday Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $394.15 | $480.65 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| BlueExtend PPO HD Bronze 2 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $400.23 | $488.06 | $8,300 | $8,300 |
| BlueExtend PPO HD Bronze 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $411.37 | $501.65 | $7,300 | $7,300 |
| BlueEssentials Bronze 6 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $430.15 | $524.56 | $0 | $10,600 |
| Elite Bronze Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $435.29 | $530.82 | $0 | $10,500 |
| First Choice Next Bronze Signature First Choice Next | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $447.55 | $545.77 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Elite Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $449.66 | $548.34 | $0 | $10,500 |
| First Choice Next Bronze Premier First Choice Next | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $451.23 | $550.26 | $3,850 | $10,600 |
| Blue Cooper Silver 2 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | HMO | $462.72 | $564.27 | $7,900 | $8,800 |
| Blue Cooper Silver 2 + Adult Vision BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | HMO | $464.06 | $565.91 | $7,900 | $8,800 |
| Blue Cooper Silver 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | HMO | $465.75 | $567.96 | $7,000 | $10,500 |
| Blue Cooper Standard Silver BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | HMO | $473.08 | $576.91 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Molina Silver Saver Molina Healthcare | Silver | HMO | $473.35 | $577.23 | $7,000 | $10,150 |
| Molina Silver Standard Molina Healthcare | Silver | HMO | $476.17 | $580.67 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Molina Silver Core Molina Healthcare | Silver | HMO | $476.86 | $581.52 | $6,000 | $8,990 |
| Molina Silver Core Plus with Adult Vision Molina Healthcare | Silver | HMO | $480.06 | $585.42 | $6,000 | $8,990 |
| Standard Silver Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Silver | HMO | $486.58 | $593.37 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Focused Silver Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Silver | HMO | $491.93 | $599.89 | $6,300 | $8,400 |
| Molina Silver Core Plus with Adult Dental and Vision Molina Healthcare | Silver | HMO | $494.77 | $603.36 | $6,000 | $8,990 |
| Standard Silver + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Silver | HMO | $502.64 | $612.95 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| BlueEssentials Silver 14 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | EPO | $521.13 | $635.50 | $7,400 | $9,700 |
| BlueEssentials Silver 14 + Adult Vision BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | EPO | $522.49 | $637.15 | $7,400 | $9,700 |
| Blue VirtuConnect Silver 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | EPO | $523.46 | $638.34 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| BlueEssentials Silver 40 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | EPO | $533.04 | $650.02 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| BlueEssentials Standard Silver BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | EPO | $533.49 | $650.58 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| First Choice Next Silver Signature First Choice Next | Silver | HMO | $538.71 | $656.94 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| First Choice Next Silver Essential First Choice Next | Silver | HMO | $541.14 | $659.90 | $6,100 | $9,000 |
| First Choice Next Silver Premier First Choice Next | Silver | HMO | $542.84 | $661.97 | $400 | $10,200 |
| BlueExtend PPO Standard Silver BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | PPO | $574.31 | $700.35 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| BlueExtend PPO HD Silver 2 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | PPO | $594.73 | $725.26 | $5,990 | $5,990 |
| BlueExtend PPO HD Silver 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Silver | PPO | $608.09 | $741.55 | $5,300 | $5,300 |
| Blue Cooper Gold 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | HMO | $485.85 | $592.48 | $250 | $8,900 |
| Molina Gold Core 1640 Molina Healthcare | Gold | HMO | $485.92 | $592.57 | $1,640 | $8,100 |
| Molina Gold Core 1640 Plus with Adult Vision Molina Healthcare | Gold | HMO | $489.13 | $596.47 | $1,640 | $8,100 |
| Molina Gold Value Molina Healthcare | Gold | HMO | $490.19 | $597.77 | $2,250 | $8,000 |
| Molina Gold Value Plus with Adult Vision Molina Healthcare | Gold | HMO | $493.39 | $601.67 | $2,250 | $8,000 |
| Blue Cooper Standard Gold BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | HMO | $504.74 | $615.52 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Molina Gold Standard Molina Healthcare | Gold | HMO | $507.60 | $619.01 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Molina Gold Value Plus with Adult Dental and Vision Molina Healthcare | Gold | HMO | $508.10 | $619.60 | $2,250 | $8,000 |
| Standard Gold Ambetter from Absolute Total Care | Gold | HMO | $508.65 | $620.28 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Molina Gold Core 1640 Plus with Adult Dental and Vision Molina Healthcare | Gold | HMO | $520.69 | $634.96 | $1,640 | $8,100 |
| BlueEssentials Gold 5 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | EPO | $540.22 | $658.78 | $250 | $9,200 |
| Blue VirtuConnect Gold 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | EPO | $558.71 | $681.32 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| BlueEssentials Gold 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | EPO | $567.24 | $691.73 | $2,700 | $5,400 |
| BlueEssentials Standard Gold BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | EPO | $569.47 | $694.45 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| BlueExtend PPO HD Gold 2 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | PPO | $596.25 | $727.11 | $4,150 | $4,150 |
| First Choice Next Gold Signature First Choice Next | Gold | HMO | $608.17 | $741.64 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| BlueExtend PPO Standard Gold BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | PPO | $613.16 | $747.72 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| BlueExtend PPO HD Gold 1 BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | Gold | PPO | $613.58 | $748.24 | $3,400 | $3,400 |
| First Choice Next Gold Premier First Choice Next | Gold | HMO | $624.50 | $761.55 | $850 | $8,500 |
Silver Premium Trend (2022-2026)
| Year | Avg Premium | Min | Max | Plans | Issuers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $386/mo | $350 | $468 | 31 | 4 |
| 2023 | $412/mo | $376 | $474 | 30 | 5 |
| 2024 | $440/mo | $391 | $491 | 34 | 6 |
| 2025 | $416/mo | $371 | $494 | 24 | 4 |
| 2026 | $512/mo | $463 | $608 | 23 | 4 |
What this means for Dorchester
Use Dorchester's own numbers here, not a national average, before you enroll.
- $512/mo Silver average sits in the bottom third of tracked counties nationally -- a subsidized Silver plan can already beat Bronze on total cost here. See how subsidies work
- 60 plans from 4 issuers here -- see how that stacks up against the cheapest counties nationwide. See cheapest counties
Averages and tercile bands are CMS Marketplace Public Use File aggregates for this county; your actual premium depends on your age, household income, and chosen plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Dorchester's Silver premium in the lower band?
Dorchester ranks #1802 of 2055 tracked federal-marketplace counties by average Silver premium (highest = #1; CMS PUF sort). Local Silver avg is $512/mo. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How many ACA plans compete in Dorchester?
Dorchester carries 60 ACA plans from 4 issuers, putting it in the densest third of county inventories nationwide.
What is the cheapest health insurance plan in Dorchester?
The lowest-premium plan in Dorchester starts at $313/mo (Bronze tier, age 27). Silver plans start at $463/mo. Actual premiums vary by age and may be reduced by premium tax credits.
What is the benchmark premium for Dorchester?
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Dorchester is $464/mo for a 27-year-old. This amount determines how much premium tax credit subsidy you may be eligible for.
Why did Dorchester premiums rise +23.7% year-over-year?
The average age-27 premium in Dorchester changed by +23.7% between plan years 2025 and 2026, measured across Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Catastrophic plans. Premium trends are tracked from 2022 to 2026.
What is the average deductible and out-of-pocket maximum in Dorchester?
The average annual deductible across all plans in Dorchester is $5,186, and the average out-of-pocket maximum is $8,794. Bronze plans generally have higher deductibles but lower premiums, while Gold and Platinum plans have lower deductibles but higher monthly costs.
Which issuers compete in Dorchester's crowded market?
There are 4 insurance issuers offering ACA marketplace plans in Dorchester, including BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Molina Healthcare, Ambetter from Absolute Total Care, and others. Competition among issuers affects plan variety and pricing. More issuers generally mean more choices and potentially lower premiums.
Disclaimer
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute insurance or financial advice. Premiums shown are for a 27-year-old non-tobacco user unless otherwise noted. Your actual premium depends on age, location, tobacco use, and subsidy eligibility. Visit HealthCare.gov for official enrollment. Source: CMS Marketplace PUF, PY2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Counties With a Similar Benchmark Premium
The closest counties nationwide to Dorchester, SC's $464/mo benchmark premium.
One of 2,054 counties nationwide with a tracked benchmark premium, 5 are shown here.
Nationwide counties with similar marketplace profiles
Two CMS Marketplace peer sets for Dorchester, SC, both outside SC so the neighborhoods are not state containment (the similar-premium list above may still include same-state rating-area siblings). Peers are drawn from counties with ≥20 plans, the rankings-scale corpus.
Similar benchmark premium
Nearest other-state counties by benchmark premium ($464/mo here).
Similar issuer competition
Nearest other-state counties by issuer count (4 here).
Data sources
Data sourced from the CMS Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHealthPlan
PlainHealthPlan is rendered directly from CMS Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files, no number is typed in by an editor. Plan and premium figures for this county come from the live CMS Marketplace PUF aggregates. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.