Best Short-Term Health Insurance in South Carolina (2024)

Short-term health insurance covers you until you can enroll in a regular plan. They can be purchased by those who are waiting for open enrollment, like people who are between jobs. While they last less than a year, they can be extended or purchased for a few weeks to a few months.

Since they don't comply with Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements, insurers aren't required to offer you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition. They also don’t provide essential health benefits and cannot take the place of marketplace plans. Researching subsidies could help you find a marketplace plan with superior coverage at a comparable cost.

The top short-term health insurance companies in South Carolina are National General Accident & Health and Everest Reinsurance Company, with MoneyGeek scores of 95 and 85, respectively. Ultimately, the best health insurance will provide a good balance of price and coverage for your unique circumstances.

National General Accident & Health is the overall best company for short-term health insurance in South Carolina. It received a MoneyGeek score of 95 out of 100.

The second and third best companies are:

• Everest Reinsurance Company: 85 out of 100
• Independence American Insurance Company: 70 out of 100

To determine the rankings, we considered the average maximum out-of-pocket costs and cost-sharing options.

The maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) costs for each of these companies are $7,500, $7,958 and $12,833, respectively.

The cheapest short-term health insurance in South Carolina is National General Accident & Health, with an average MOOP of $7,500. The cost of short-term health insurance is cheaper than a regular plan, but it may not include certain essential benefits. Additionally, opting for cheaper premiums may result in higher MOOPs.

When you are in between jobs, cheap premiums may seem great. Unfortunately, they come with high MOOPs. This might be ok if you only have occasional medical needs.

MoneyGeek looked for cheaper-than-average companies with multiple plan options. On average, these companies provide the best short-term health insurance in South Carolina for those who are between jobs:

• Independence American Insurance Company: $154 per month
• UnitedHealthcare: $159 per month
• Everest Reinsurance Company: $163 per month

While costs are similar across these companies, Independence American Insurance Company took the top spot due to its plan options.

You can purchase short-term health insurance to bridge the gap between long-term coverage. It serves as an emergency plan rather than a preventative plan, unlike marketplace plans or long-term coverages.

Generally, the law requires a period of up to 364 days from the start of the plan. The total plan duration, after renewals, should only be up to 36 months. However, states are allowed to impose their own laws, which can be much shorter.

Short-term health insurance in South Carolina lasts up to 11 months. However, state laws allow renewals of these plans for up to 33 months.

To give you a better understanding of short-term plans, MoneyGeek answered questions concerning short-term health insurance in South Carolina. These can help you determine if this coverage is right for you.