Get a South Carolina Health Insurance Quote
About one out of every six residents goes without health insurance in South Carolina, a problem that’s compounded by high unemployment and a comparatively low rate of businesses that don’t offer coverage to their employees. Meanwhile, the residents who are forced to seek coverage on the individual market frequently struggle with paying the premiums and out-of-pocket costs for even basic health insurance in South Carolina. Whether you’re a single, healthy adult looking for catastrophic coverage, head of a household that needs coverage for vulnerable, still-developing children, or an individual struggling to find coverage for a serious medical condition, some form of South Carolina health insurance is a must to ensure quality health care coverage and to avoid financial calamity and/or bankruptcy.
South Carolina Health Insurance and Employer-Based Coverage
Employer-based coverage provides the majority of health coverage in the United States, but many South Carolina residents are unable to enjoy this affordable coverage. With a 12.2 percent unemployment rate (March, 2010), tens of thousands of state residents must try to find a way to pay exorbitant COBRA rates to maintain their current health plan, seek a plan with fewer benefits and higher out-of-pocket expenses to manage the costs, or hope they qualify for some form of public assistance. Meanwhile, 72 percent of the jobs market is composed of small business employers, but only 39 percent of these firms offered health benefits in 2008, according to the Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends. That said, small business tax credits provided by federal health care reform will help nearly 50,000 small businesses in the state, in addition to other benefits that health care reform will bring to the state.
South Carolina Health Insurance and the Individual Market
Often, there is no silver bullet when it comes to finding affordable health insurance on the individual market, but there are a number of creative ways to approach health coverage that extend well beyond the traditional PPO (preferred provider organization) and HMO (health maintenance organization) plans. Along with POS (point of service) and indemnity health plans, there are a number of different types of health insurance in South Carolina. If you can’t find health insurance because of a serious and/or ongoing condition, you might need to opt in to the state’s high-risk health insurance program, the South Carolina Health Insurance Pool (SCHIP), but it may be helpful to first look for available quotes on the private market.
Find an Online South Carolina Health Insurance Quote
No matter you’re circumstances, you shouldn’t assume you can’t afford or don’t qualify for health coverage without shopping online for a South Carolina health insurance quote. By using an online referral service, like netQuote, you can find multiple health insurance companies that are licensed in the state and offer plans that meet your health care needs. Moreover, finding insurers online helps reduce the overhead for these companies, resulting in lower premiums by shopping online. You’ll still be able to discuss these details over the phone with a health insurance agent; a critical part of choosing the right South Carolina health insurance quote is still hashing out the details of a plan that meet your personal health care needs. Yet, it takes but a minute to submit an online request, leaving you with more time and patience to size-up different health insurance companies, agents, and plans.
