# Atlas Commons research objects — ACA marketplace coverage for South Carolina (2026) — context brief

South Carolina's ACA marketplace coverage from the CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF, with each figure's epistemic status labeled: every plan count — medical plans, standalone dental plans, and breakdowns by metal level, plan type, HSA-eligibility, and referral requirement — is a measured census of plans offered (counts of rows in the CMS file, all labeled RECORDED); the sticker premium landscape by metal tier (40yo, pre-subsidy) is a recorded set of published CMS Rate PUF rates, with the subsidy note labeled CONTEXT; the boundary note is context (labeled CONTEXT) — these count plans offered and their sticker price, not enrollment, the insured rate, or net cost after subsidies. Sources: CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF, CMS Marketplace Rate PUF. CC0.

Claims (warrant · source), each re-fetchable to verify:

- **659 ACA medical marketplace plans are offered in South Carolina for plan year 2026** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **Medical plan counts by CMS metal level in South Carolina (2026): Silver 371, Gold 136, Expanded Bronze 120, Bronze 32** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **Medical plan counts by CMS plan type in South Carolina (2026): HMO 507, EPO 67, PPO 45, POS 40** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **162 of 659 medical plans in South Carolina are HSA-eligible (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **587 of 659 medical plans in South Carolina require no specialist referral (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **38 standalone dental plans are offered in South Carolina for plan year 2026** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **STICKER ACA premiums in South Carolina for a 40-year-old (before tax credits): Silver median $636/mo** — DERIVED · CMS Marketplace Rate Public Use File (atlas-aggregated per tier) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **What the South Carolina premiums mean — sticker, not your price** — INTERPRETATION · Coverage Atlas framing (over the CMS Rate PUF figures above) (https://coverage-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/)
- **What these coverage figures are — and are NOT — for South Carolina (the epistemic boundary)** — INTERPRETATION · Coverage Atlas framing (over the CMS facts above) (https://coverage-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/)

Do not take these on trust — re-fetch each named source. Full structured object: `https://coverage-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/coverage/states/sc.jsonld` · anatomy of the research object: see /commons/the-research-object

**South Carolina — every coverage indicator (typed)** (11): Medical plans offered — 659 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); Medical issuers — 6 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); HSA-eligible medical plans — 162 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026)…
**South Carolina — medical plans by CMS metal level (RECORDED)** (4): Silver — 371; Gold — 136; Expanded Bronze — 120…
**South Carolina — medical plans by CMS plan type (RECORDED)** (4): HMO — 507; EPO — 67; PPO — 45…
**South Carolina — medical plans by market coverage (RECORDED)** (1): Individual — 697…
**South Carolina — sticker ACA premiums by metal tier (40yo, pre-subsidy, DERIVED)** (3): Bronze — 771 — 486 — 443 — 531 — 336 — 728; Silver — 953 — 636 — 580 — 709 — 456 — 931; Gold — 794 — 671 — 608 — 748 — 476 — 968…
**South Carolina — issuers present on the marketplace (RECORDED)** (11): Ambetter from Absolute Total Care; BEST Life; BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina…