South Carolina Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment
- Are you eligible for Medicaid in South Carolina? Find out how South Carolina Medicaid works, who is eligible to sign up and how it differs from Medicaid in other states.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state healthcare program managed by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Medicaid in South Carolina provides medically necessary services to eligible low-income participants whose income is not sufficient to meet the cost for it. Applicants who qualify for the South Carolina Medicaid program, called Healthy Connections may be:
- Under 18 or 65 and older
- Blind, disabled or pregnant
- The parent or relative who is responsible for a child under 18 years of age or younger
- Living in a nursing home
- Under age 21 and in foster care
- In medical need of certain home and community-based services
- Have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer
- Aged 19 through 64 with very low or no income
South Carolina’s Healthy Connections Medicaid program supports more than 1.2 million beneficiaries.
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What Benefits Does South Carolina Medicaid Cover?
The federal government is responsible for setting access, coverage and care guidelines for all state Medicaid programs. The state of South Carolina voluntarily reports information on all 21 health care quality measures. Program coverage standards include preventative and emergency services, rapid access to urgent care and timely routine appointments for outpatient health visits.
Beneficiaries can access a variety of medically necessary services through Medicaid. The Healthy Connections Medicaid program also includes a prescription drug benefit, routine and preventative care, oral surgery and vision and behavioral health services for low or no cost.
Many Medicaid participants in South Carolina receive healthcare for free or for a nominal co-payment, which is often set to the beneficiaries’ ability to pay. South Carolina residents with exceptionally low or no income often have no payment due at time of service.
Who Is Eligible for Medicaid in South Carolina?
People who live in South Carolina are eligible for Medicaid if they meet all of the federal standards. These standards include factors such as income and asset limits.
A single adult in South Carolina, for example, is eligible for state Medicaid if they earn $14,580 or less a year. A family of four is limited to earning $19,720 a year.
Eligibility also depends on the size of your family and the Medicaid category for which you are applying for. Income limits are established each year by the federal government and vary for different family sizes and needs. South Carolina’s Health Connections Medicaid program determines the income limit for you and your family when you apply.
How Do I Enroll in Medicaid in South Carolina?
There are several convenient ways for eligible applicants to apply for Medicaid in South Carolina. Applications are available online through the Healthy Connections web portal. Applicants who visit the website will be instructed to create an account, choose a username and password and follow the prompts.
Medicaid offices in South Carolina can be reached at (888) 549-0820. In-person assistance is available at South Carolina Medicaid offices.
Applicants may return forms and supporting documents by mailing them to:
SCDHHS-Central Mail
P.O. Box 100101
Columbia, SC 29202-3101
It takes typically up to 45 days for Healthy Connections to determine your eligibility for benefits, though determination times can increase depending on application categories. You should receive your Medicaid card within one week of being accepted.
Contact Information for South Carolina Medicaid
General correspondence, applications and questions can be sent to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) at:
SCDHHS
P.O. Box 100101
Columbia, SC 29202-3101
Telephone inquiries about specific Medicaid services, application categories, non-citizen status and emergency matters can be made by calling (888) 549-0820.
