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South Carolina dental insurance guide
South Carolina’s health insurance Marketplace has certified individual and family dental plans from five insurers
South Carolina uses the federally facilitated health insurance Marketplace HealthCare.gov for the sale of certified individual and family dental plans.
Some of the medical plans available through South Carolina’s health insurance Marketplace include embedded pediatric and adult dental coverage.1 There are also stand-alone dental plans available.
Frequently asked questions about dental coverage in South Carolina
How much does dental insurance cost in South Carolina?
For adults who purchase their own stand-alone dental coverage through the exchange in South Carolina, premiums in May 2024 ranged from about $10 to $47 per month.2
If a family is purchasing coverage through the health insurance exchange, the premiums associated with pediatric dental coverage may or may not be offset by premium tax credits (premium subsidies). Here’s more about how that works, depending on whether the health plan has integrated pediatric dental benefits.
Are stand-alone pediatric dental plans on the exchange ACA-compliant?
The stand-alone pediatric dental plans available in South Carolina’s health insurance exchange (HealthCare.gov) will comply with the ACA’s pediatric dental coverage rules.
This means the out-of-pocket costs for pediatric dental care on a stand-alone dental plan obtained via HealthCare.gov won’t be more than $400 per child in 2024 (or $800 for all the children on a family’s plan),3 and there is no cap on medically necessary pediatric dental benefits. (For 2025, the out-of-pocket maximums will increase to $425 and $850, respectively.4)
If a medical plan has embedded pediatric dental benefits, the maximum out-of-pocket limits described above are not applicable. However, there will be no limit on how much the plan will pay for pediatric dental care, since it’s an essential health benefit.
According to a Milliman analysis of 2024 coverage, some medical plans available through South Carolina’s Marketplace include embedded pediatric and adult dental coverage.1 There are also stand-alone dental plans available.
As is the case for all essential health benefits, the specific coverage requirements for pediatric dental care (either embedded in an ACA-compliant individual market plan, or obtained via HealthCare.gov as a stand-alone dental plan) are guided by the state’s essential health benefits benchmark plan.
The South Carolina benchmark plan does include coverage for both basic and major dental services for children.
Which insurers offer dental coverage through the South Carolina Marketplace?
In 2024, six insurers offer stand-alone individual/family dental coverage through the health insurance Marketplace in South Carolina. These are dental plans that are not included with a medical plan and must be purchased separately.
This coverage can be purchased through HealthCare.gov during open enrollment (November 1 to January 15) or during a special enrollment period triggered by a qualifying life event. Exchange-certified stand-alone dental plans are compliant with the ACA’s rules for pediatric dental coverage.
Can I buy dental insurance outside of South Carolina's exchange?
There are also a variety of dental insurers that sell stand-alone dental plans directly to consumers in South Carolina. These plans are not subject to the ACA’s essential health benefit rules for pediatric dental coverage, but they are regulated by the South Carolina Department of Insurance. If you would like to purchase a non-ACA qualified dental plan, ask a dentist for recommendations or search online.
There are also various dental discount plans available in every state. Dental discount plans are not insurance, but can offer discounted rates at participating dentists. Learn about the differences between dental insurance and dental discount plans.
To find plans in your area, search online for dental discount plans and the state you are looking to buy a plan in.
How does South Carolina Medicaid and CHIP provide dental coverage?
Adults enrolled in Medicaid in South Carolina, known as Healthy Connections, are only eligible for limited dental services focused on preventive care—this does not include crowns, root canals, dentures or other advanced surgical services. Children (under age 21) eligible for Medicaid receive more extensive dental benefits.
Partners for Healthy Children (PHC), which is South Carolina’s CHIP, provides coverage to uninsured children and pregnant women with income above the eligibility limits for Medicaid.
What dental resources are available in South Carolina?
Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org.
Footnotes
- ”Dental coverage in the individual market; Landscape of 2024 Federally Facilitated Marketplace dental offerings” Milliman. Accessed July 9, 2024 ⤶ ⤶
- ”See plans & prices” HealthCare.gov. Accessed May, 29, 2024 ⤶
- ”2024 Final Letter to Issuers in the Federally-facilitated Exchanges” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. May 1, 2023 ⤶
- ” 2025 Final Letter to Issuers in the Federally-facilitated Exchanges” CMS.gov. April 10, 2024 ⤶