The Best Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans in South Carolina
- South Carolina Medicare Supplement (Medigap) insurance helps cover Medicare-related expenses such as copays and deductibles. Learn more about Medicare Supplement plans in South Carolina, including what they might cover and when the best times are to enroll.
Medicare Part A and Part B are collectively known as Original Medicare and offer coverage for eligible individuals throughout South Carolina and the rest of the United States. This medical coverage, however, does not cover all out-of-pocket costs for Medicare participants.
That's where Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Insurance comes into the picture. Medigap plans offer some help in managing the financial costs of care that are not covered by Medicare.
Nearly half (40%) of Original Medicare beneficiaries in South Carolina are enrolled in a Medicare Supplement plan.
Have Medicare questions?
Talk to a licensed agent today to find a Medicare Supplement plan.
What Are the Best South Carolina Medicare Supplement Plans?
Like all but three U.S. states, South Carolina offers 10 standardized types of Medigap plans, designated by letter. This means that Plan A coverage is the same from company to company, though they may charge different monthly premiums.
| Medicare Supplement Benefits | A | B | C1 | D | F1 | G | K | L | M | N |
| Part A coinsurance and hospital costs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
| First 3 pints of blood | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
| Part A hospice care co-insurance or co-payment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
| Co-insurance for skilled nursing facility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Medicare Part A deductible | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | 50% | ✓ | |
| Medicare Part B deductible | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
| Medicare Part B excess charges | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
| Foreign travel emergency | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | ||||
| 1. Plans C and F are not available to new beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. 2. Plans F and G also offer a high deductible plan which has an annual deductible of $2,870 in 2025. Once the annual deductible is met, the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the year. The high deductible Plan F is not available to new beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. 3. Plan K has an out-of-pocket yearly limit of $7,220 in 2025. Plan L has an out-of-pocket yearly limit of $3,610 in 2025. 4. Plan N pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance, except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t result in an inpatient admission. View an image version of this table. |
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Every Medicare Supplement Insurance plan in South Carolina offers coverage for Medicare Part A coinsurance costs and for an additional year's worth of hospitalization over and above that offered by Medicare. Each plan also includes some level of coverage for copays required by Medicare Part B. The differences between Medigap plans is explained in the helpful chart below.
For South Carolina Medicare recipients, the most popular plans include Plans F, G and N.
It is worth noting that Plans C and F are not available to people who became eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later. These plans were discontinued by the 2015 Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act but can still be chosen by those who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
Have Medicare questions?
Talk to a licensed agent today to find a Medicare Supplement plan.
How Do I Enroll in a South Carolina Medigap Plan?
Beginning with the first day of the month in which you reach 65 years of age and are enrolled in Medicare Part B, you will have six months to enroll in Medigap coverage under preferred status. Your Medigap open enrollment period is one of the only times during which you cannot be denied coverage for any plan you want to purchase.
Additionally, insurance companies must offer you the opportunity to buy any Medicare Supplement Insurance plan they sell at the same premium rates they would offer to a perfectly healthy person.
If you have other insurance coverage after the age of 65, your Medigap open enrollment period will start during the month when your current insurance ends and you purchase Medicare Part B coverage for the first time.
Enrolling in a Medigap plan during your six-month open enrollment period can prevent pre-existing conditions from affecting the rate you must pay insurers to obtain Medicare Supplement Insurance. It can also eliminate the possibility that you could be denied coverage because of your medical conditions. After this period of open enrollment concludes, insurers are free to use normal underwriting procedures to increase your rates for Medigap coverage or, in some cases, to deny your application outright.
In certain circumstances, you may be entitled to guaranteed issue rights outside the six-month period of initial Medigap open enrollment.
Helpadvisor.com is owned and operated by Tranzact, the parent company of TZ Insurance Solutions LLC, which is the owner/operator of MedicareSupplement.com and other websites mentioned on HelpAdvisor and which has a financial relationship with some of the carriers listed on HelpAdvisor.
