South Carolina Long-Term Care Insurance
Compare South Carolina Plans, Costs & Coverage Options
For more than 30 years, ACACIA Insurance has helped South Carolina residents plan for their long-term care needs. As fully independent advisors, we compare long-term care insurance plans and highly rated companies to provide personalized, unbiased recommendations.
We review benefits, features, and pricing to help you choose the long-term care insurance coverage that fits your goals and your budget.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Do I Need Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina?
- South Carolina Long-Term Care Costs
- Medicare and Long-Term Care in South Carolina
- When To Buy Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
- Types of Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
- South Carolina Long-Term Care Partnership Program
- Long-Term Care Insurance Companies in South Carolina
- Cost of Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
- FAQs About Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Do I Need Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina?
Many South Carolina residents are surprised by how likely long-term care becomes later in life and by how quickly costs can add up. Care needs often arise suddenly, and expenses vary widely across the state. This makes advance planning especially important. The facts below provide a clearer picture of long-term care risks and costs in South Carolina and can help you determine whether long-term care insurance is a good fit for your situation.
The Likelihood of Needing Care
South Carolina residents face the same long-term care risks as the rest of the country. Nearly 70% of people turning 65 today will need some form of long-term care in the future, with an average duration of about three years.1
How Long Care Lasts
For South Carolina families, this means planning ahead is essential. While one-third of people may never need long-term care, 20% will need it for longer than 5 years. On average, women need 3.7 years of care while men need 2.2 years.2
Care Costs in South Carolina
In 2026, the average for 3 years of long-term care in South Carolina is $330,189, or about $110,063 per year. By 2046, that figure is projected to rise to $657,006, or $219,002 per year.3
South Carolina Long-Term Care Costs
Long-term care costs vary across South Carolina. A private nursing home room averages $96,184 a year in Florence and $142,215 in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal area. The table below shows 2026 averages for all nine regions.
Long-Term Care Costs in South Carolina 2026 | |||
| Region | Nursing Home (private room) annual / monthly | Assisted Living (private room) annual / monthly | Home Health Aide (44 hrs/week) annual / monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina Average | $110,063 $9,172 a month | $62,124 $5,177 a month | $70,082 $5,840 a month |
| Aiken Area | $106,417 $8,868 a month | $60,552 $5,046 a month | $67,199 $5,600 a month |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $111,835 $9,320 a month | $70,710 $5,893 a month | $80,251 $6,688 a month |
| Columbia | $113,400 $9,450 a month | $68,703 $5,725 a month | $68,763 $5,730 a month |
| Florence | $96,184 $8,015 a month | $49,065 $4,089 a month | $70,478 $5,873 a month |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $118,725 $9,894 a month | $66,860 $5,572 a month | $71,134 $5,928 a month |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $142,215 $11,851 a month | $74,584 $6,215 a month | $75,172 $6,264 a month |
| Rock Hill Area | $108,600 $9,050 a month | $79,692 $6,641 a month | $76,021 $6,335 a month |
| Spartanburg | $106,822 $8,902 a month | $59,518 $4,960 a month | $67,972 $5,664 a month |
| Sumter | $117,056 $9,755 a month | $52,028 $4,336 a month | $65,900 $5,492 a month |
| Source: Nationwide Financial 2026 Cost of Care Survey (HVS), accessed September 27, 2026. Monthly figures are the annual cost divided by twelve. | |||
Medicare and Long-Term Care in South Carolina
Medicare 
covers recovery, not ongoing care. A skilled nursing stay qualifies only after 3 days as a hospital inpatient. Medicare pays in full for the first 20 days. Days 21 through 100 cost $217 a day in 2026. After day 100, Medicare pays nothing. Coverage can also end sooner, once skilled care is no longer needed. Help with daily tasks such as bathing or dressing is never covered as the only care you need, however long it lasts.
When Medicare stops, most families look to South Carolina Medicaid . A single applicant may hold no more than $2,000 in countable assets. The monthly income limit is $2,982. A husband or wife remaining at home may keep $66,480. That is well below the $162,660 many other states allow. The state reviews five years of transfers before approving care. Once approved, most of your income goes toward the bill. You keep a $60 personal needs allowance.
Care at home through the state has limits. The Community Choices waiver serves adults 65 and older, and younger adults with physical disabilities, who need a nursing home level of care. Enrollment is capped each year. When the slots are full, new applicants are admitted in order of application date. Program rules can change over time. A private policy pays benefits on terms set when you buy it.
Learn more about Medicare and custodial care ➜
When To Buy Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
What is the best age to buy long-term care insurance? No single age fits everyone. Health, budget and goals all shape the answer. These patterns hold for most South Carolina buyers:
- Mid 50s to early 60s. The most common window. Rates are still moderate, and health discounts remain within reach.
- Your 40s. Lower premiums and an easier approval, in exchange for more years of payments.
- Late 60s and beyond. Still workable for many. Pricing climbs, declines happen more often and discounts usually disappear.
Nursing home costs in South Carolina rise about 3.5% a year. Assisted living climbs near 3%. Home care moves slower, closer to 2%. By the time benefits start, those rates have spread further apart. That makes the setting you expect to use a guide to how much inflation protection is worth buying.
Already past 65? Do not assume it is too late. Carriers underwrite to different standards, and products vary just as widely. Plenty of applicants at that age still qualify. A licensed specialist can review your situation and put real numbers next to it.
Find Out If You QualifyTypes of Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
South Carolina residents can choose from several long-term care insurance options, each designed to help cover care at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing facility. Understanding how traditional long-term care insurance, hybrid life/LTC policies, LTC annuities, and short-term care plans differ can help you decide which type fits your budget, health, and long-term planning goals.
Traditional Long-Term Care Insurance
What It Is: A standalone policy specifically designed to cover comprehensive long-term care expenses, including in-home care, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. These policies are fully portable and provide coverage wherever you receive care.
Coverage Benefits: Provides the most extensive long-term care coverage per dollar spent with flexible daily or monthly benefit amounts for your selected benefit period. Ideal for South Carolina residents planning comprehensive care coverage.
Premium Structure: Recurring payments (monthly, quarterly, or annually). Premiums may experience rate adjustments over time based on insurance company claims experience.
Health Requirements: Requires full medical underwriting with stricter health qualifications than hybrid options. Your current health can significantly impact eligibility and premium costs for South Carolina applicants.
Tax Advantages for South Carolina Residents: Premiums for tax-qualified long-term care insurance policies may qualify as medical expenses for federal tax deductions (subject to income thresholds). South Carolina follows federal tax treatment and offers no separate state deduction for premiums. Benefits received are generally tax-free.
Life Insurance with a Long-Term Care Rider
What It Is: A permanent life insurance policy with a long-term care rider, often called hybrid life or hybrid long-term care insurance. The rider lets you use the death benefit early for qualified care, wherever you receive it.
Coverage Benefits: Typically provides 2 to 4% of the death benefit monthly for long-term care with guaranteed cash value growth. Unused benefits pass to beneficiaries tax-free.
Premium Structure: Guaranteed level premiums that NEVER increase. Higher initial cost than traditional LTC insurance but protected from future rate increases. Can provide important stability for South Carolina residents on fixed incomes.
Health Requirements: Moderate medical underwriting with more flexible health guidelines than traditional LTC insurance, making qualification easier for many South Carolina applicants with health issues.
Tax Advantages for South Carolina Residents: Can utilize 1035 exchanges from appropriate existing policies without tax consequences and can be funded with qualified retirement accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s).
Long-Term Care Annuity
What It Is: An annuity with a long-term care rider, often called an LTC annuity. It is a fixed rate or indexed deferred contract built for asset protection with simpler approval.
Coverage Benefits: Typically multiplies your annuity value by 2 to 3 times for long-term care expenses. For example, a $100,000 annuity might provide $200,000-$300,000 in LTC coverage. If not exhausted for healthcare, the annuity value transfers to your estate at death.
Premium Structure: Can be purchased with a single premium payment with NO future premium payments or rate increases. Best for South Carolina residents with existing assets to reposition for long-term care planning.
Health Requirements: Simplified underwriting with the most lenient health qualifications, sometimes requiring only a phone interview rather than medical exams or records review. Ideal for South Carolina residents with health concerns.
Tax Advantages for South Carolina Residents: Supports tax-free 1035 exchanges from existing annuities, and LTC benefits are generally received tax-free under current federal tax rules.
Short-Term Care Insurance
What It Is: A policy that provides coverage for care in a nursing home, assisted living, or at home for a shorter duration, typically up to 12 months. Coverage is portable and can be used wherever you need short-term care.
Coverage Benefits: Helps cover costs for short-term care needs, including recovery from surgery, illness, or injury. Most policies have a 0-day deductible with benefits paid as soon as you qualify. This bridges gaps before long-term care insurance or Medicare coverage begins for services like home health aides.
Premium Structure: Generally lower than long-term care insurance due to the shorter benefit period, making it an affordable option for many South Carolina families.
Health Requirements: Often features simplified underwriting with fewer health questions, making it easier to qualify. Very helpful for South Carolina residents who may not meet traditional long-term care insurance health or age requirements.
South Carolina Long-Term Care Partnership Program
A South Carolina Long-Term Care Partnership policy lets you keep savings that Medicaid would otherwise expect you to spend. The exchange is dollar for dollar. Every dollar the policy pays in benefits shelters a dollar of assets when the state reviews your eligibility. A policy that has paid out $300,000 would shelter $300,000, on top of the $2,000 a single applicant may already keep. The rest of the eligibility test still applies.
Not every plan qualifies. The program began on January 1, 2009, and covers policies issued from that date. South Carolina also sets a rule by your age at purchase. Under 61, the policy must carry compound inflation protection. From 61 through 75, some level of protection is required. At 76 and older it becomes optional. Ask whether a policy is Partnership qualified before you sign.
Estate recovery is the other half. South Carolina can seek repayment from the estate of someone who received nursing home or home care through Medicaid at 55 or older. Assets sheltered by a Partnership policy are exempt from that claim in the same amount.
That is the practical appeal. Coverage pays first, and if the benefits run out, the protected savings remain.
Learn how Long-Term Care Partnership programs work nationwide ➜
Long-Term Care Insurance Companies in South Carolina
South Carolina residents have access to long-term care insurance from a wide range of trusted, financially strong carriers. We work with multiple top-rated LTC insurance providers to help you find a plan that fits your age, health, and budget, whether you’re looking for a traditional policy or a hybrid life + LTC option.
Below is a list of long-term care insurance companies available in South Carolina:
USAA member? Explore USAA long-term care coverage ➜
AARP member? Review AARP long-term care insurance ➜
- Bankers Life & Casualty
- Brighthouse Financial
- Global Atlantic
- LifeSecure
- Lincoln Financial (MoneyGuard)
- Mutual of Omaha
- National Guardian Life (NGL)
- Nationwide Life Insurance Company
- New York Life
- Northwestern Mutual
- OneAmerica
- Securian Financial
- State Farm
- Thrivent Financial
These companies offer a mix of traditional and asset-based (hybrid) long-term care insurance policies. Availability and pricing vary based on your age, health history, and the type of coverage you need.
Read reviews and ratings of long-term care insurance companies ➜
Cost of Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
Traditional long-term care insurance costs in South Carolina range from $1,500 to $5,000+ annually, depending on your age, health, and coverage choices. Most people pay between $2,000 and $3,000 per year for comprehensive coverage. Several factors influence your premium:
- Age at purchase: Buying at 55 vs 65 can save thousands over time
- Current health status: Better health means lower rates
- Daily or monthly benefit amount: Typically $100 to $300 per day
- Total coverage limit: Usually $100,000 to $500,000+
- Elimination period: 30, 60, or 90-day waiting period before benefits start
- Inflation protection: Protects against rising care costs
South Carolina Long-Term Care Insurance Quotes
Our licensed South Carolina professionals offer objective guidance on a wide range of long-term care insurance products and strategies. You’ll receive personalized service including:
✔ Finding the right coverage that fits your budget and protection needs
✔ Getting matched with South Carolina’s top-rated carriers based on your specific situation
✔ Helping you secure coverage even with pre-existing health conditions
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ACACIA Insurance Reviews
FAQs About Long-Term Care Insurance in South Carolina
Most South Carolina buyers pay $2,000 to $3,000 a year for traditional coverage, which is about $167 to $250 a month. The full range runs $1,500 to $5,000 a year, or $125 to $417 a month. Where you land depends on your age at purchase, your health, the benefit amount, the waiting period and whether you add inflation protection.
A private nursing home room averages $9,172 a month statewide in 2026. Assisted living runs $5,177. Those figures come from the Nationwide Financial 2026 Cost of Care Survey. They work out to $110,063 and $62,124 a year.
Comprehensive policies do, and the benefit carries real weight here. A home health aide in South Carolina averages $70,082 a year at 44 hours a week, or $5,840 a month. Traditional, hybrid life and LTC annuity coverage can all pay for care at home as well as in a facility. Benefits usually start once you need help with two of six daily activities, such as bathing or dressing, or need supervision because of cognitive impairment. A waiting period you choose at purchase applies first. Short-term care insurance, also sold in South Carolina, can pay for care at home as well.
The Charleston-North Charleston region covers Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, including Mount Pleasant. A private nursing home room there averages $111,835 a year, or $9,320 a month. That is $1,772 above the state average. Home care costs more here than anywhere else in South Carolina, at $80,251 a year against $70,082 statewide. Assisted living runs $70,710 against $62,124.
The Columbia region covers Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland and Saluda counties. A private nursing home room there averages $113,400 a year, or $9,450 a month. That is $3,337 above the state average. Assisted living runs $68,703 against $62,124 statewide. Home care is the exception, at $68,763, or $1,319 below the state figure.
Yes. The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal region covers Beaufort and Jasper counties, including Beaufort, Bluffton and Ridgeland. A private nursing home room there averages $142,215 a year, the highest in South Carolina. That is $32,152 above the state average, or $11,851 a month against $9,172. Nursing home costs here also rise faster, about 5% a year against 3.5% statewide. Assisted living runs $74,584 and home care $75,172.
Still have a question?
Last updated: September 28, 2026
Written by: Craig Matesky, President, ACACIA Insurance
Reviewed by: Mike Berger, National Sales Manager
Sources: