South Carolina Medicaid Income Limits 2026: Healthy Connections Chart

South Carolina's chart has no group for adults without children, so the headline limits are for Children under 19 (Partners for Healthy Children): $2,766.40 a month for a household of one and $5,720 for four (208% of the federal poverty level), effective March 1, 2026. Every figure below comes from the state agency's own chart, effective March 1, 2026, not from federal averages or the old Medicaid.gov table.

Maintained by Archie Chang · Charts and sources checked October 30, 2026 · Methodology & sources

Check your income

$

Enter the whole household's countable income. States count income with MAGI rules, so this is a starting point, not a decision.

Result

Your income is at or below South Carolina's chart amount for this group.

Your income, a year
$18,000
Household size used in the chart
1
South Carolina chart amount, a year, 208%
$33,196.80
South Carolina chart amount, a month
$2,766.40
Chart amount plus 5 percent of FPL, a year
$33,994.80

This is not an eligibility decision. South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) decides what income counts (MAGI rules), who is in the household and the final result. Apply to find out: SC Medicaid application (apply.scdhhs.gov).

South Carolina Medicaid income limit chart, 2026

Monthly and annual limits by household size for each group the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) prints. Bold figures are printed by the state; italic figures are FedRateCalc's calculation (a monthly figure times 12, an annual figure divided by 12). The state chart effective date is March 1, 2026.

Medicaid income limits by household size and coverage group
Household sizeParent/Caretaker Relatives62%Effective March 1, 2026Pregnant women194%Effective March 1, 2026Infants under age one194%Effective March 1, 2026Children under 19 (Partners for Healthy Children)208%Effective March 1, 2026
1$824.60 a month$9,895.20 a year$2,580.20 a month$30,962.40 a year$2,580.20 a month$30,962.40 a year$2,766.40 a month$33,196.80 a year
2$1,118.06 a month$13,416.72 a year$3,498.46 a month$41,981.52 a year$3,498.46 a month$41,981.52 a year$3,750.93 a month$45,011.16 a year
3$1,411.53 a month$16,938.36 a year$4,416.73 a month$53,000.76 a year$4,416.73 a month$53,000.76 a year$4,735.46 a month$56,825.52 a year
4$1,705 a month$20,460 a year$5,335 a month$64,020 a year$5,335 a month$64,020 a year$5,720 a month$68,640 a year
5$1,998.46 a month$23,981.52 a year$6,253.26 a month$75,039.12 a year$6,253.26 a month$75,039.12 a year$6,704.53 a month$80,454.36 a year
6$2,291.93 a month$27,503.16 a year$7,171.53 a month$86,058.36 a year$7,171.53 a month$86,058.36 a year$7,689.06 a month$92,268.72 a year
7$2,585.40 a month$31,024.80 a year$8,089.80 a month$97,077.60 a year$8,089.80 a month$97,077.60 a year$8,673.60 a month$104,083.20 a year
8$2,878.86 a month$34,546.32 a year$9,008.06 a month$108,096.72 a year$9,008.06 a month$108,096.72 a year$9,658.13 a month$115,897.56 a year
  • Infants under age one: SCDHHS lists pregnant women and infants as one program with one chart; this group shares the pregnant amounts.
  • SCDHHS's program page prints cents and the plain percentages 62%, 194% and 208%, each "Eff. 03/01/2026". The checker adds the 5% disregard on top for the group that is the person's highest standard.
  • SCDHHS's Medicaid Eligibility Programs PDF, titled "Effective March 1, 2026", prints percentages 5 points higher for the same programs: 67% for Parent/Caretaker Relative, 213% for Partners for Healthy Children and 199% for Pregnant Women and Infants (for example $5,472.50 for a family of four at 199%, and $1,842.50 at 67%). This page uses the program page, whose percentages match the CMS table of December 1, 2023 (62%, 208%, 194%) and which, on FedRateCalc's reading, prints the amounts without the 5% disregard.

Chart sources: SCDHHS: Program Eligibility and Income Limits; SCDHHS: Medicaid Eligibility Programs (effective March 1, 2026).

How South Carolina counts the 5 percent disregard

Federal rules tell states to subtract 5 percentage points of the poverty level from income for the eligibility group with the highest income standard. That is why some state charts print a percentage such as 133% and others print the total, such as 138%.

“Effective January 1, 2014, in determining the eligibility of an individual using MAGI-based income, a state must subtract an amount equivalent to 5 percentage points of the Federal poverty level for the applicable family size only to determine the eligibility of an individual for medical assistance under the eligibility group with the highest income standard using MAGI-based methodologies in the applicable Title of the Act, but not to determine eligibility for a particular eligibility group.”
42 CFR 435.603(d)(4) (source)

The household size in the chart for a pregnant woman counts the children she is expected to deliver:

“In the case of determining the family size of a pregnant woman, the pregnant woman is counted as herself plus the number of children she is expected to deliver. In the case of determining the family size of other individuals who have a pregnant woman in their household, the pregnant woman is counted, at State option, as either 1 or 2 person(s) or as herself plus the number of children she is expected to deliver.”
42 CFR 435.603(b), definition of family size (source)

In South Carolina's chart, the amounts for Parent/Caretaker Relatives; Pregnant women; Infants under age one; Children under 19 (Partners for Healthy Children) are the plain percentage. The checker above adds 5 percent of the 2026 guideline to those amounts as its own calculation to show income that is just over the printed amount.

South Carolina Medicaid programs and expansion

South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid to adults without dependent children. Medicaid.gov's table, as of December 1, 2023, shows "No" for South Carolina in the column for expansion to adults (with a footnote about a section 1115 demonstration), and SCDHHS's 2026 program page lists no adult group without a dependent child.

  • Parent/Caretaker Relatives. Formerly Low Income Families (LIF): a parent or other caretaker relative with a dependent child living in the home, at or below 62% of the federal poverty level.
  • Partners for Healthy Children. Children under 19 at or below 208% of the federal poverty level. SCDHHS says the program was authorized under Title XXI and provides Medicaid coverage; the available plans include Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
  • Pregnant Women and Infants. Pregnant women at or below 194%; coverage for the mother continues for 12 months after the baby's birth, and the infant is covered up to age one.
  • Family Planning. A limited-benefit program for men and women at or below 194% of the federal poverty level who are ineligible for full Medicaid; it is not shown in the tables.

How to apply for Medicaid in South Carolina

SCDHHS asks you to apply even if you are unsure about eligibility, either for SC Medicaid at apply.scdhhs.gov or for federally subsidized healthcare at Healthcare.gov; the Member Help Center is (888) 549-0820.

SC Medicaid application (apply.scdhhs.gov) · HealthCare.gov Medicaid and CHIP

South Carolina Medicaid changes in 2027

South Carolina's 2026 program pages list no expansion adult group, and the community engagement requirement in Section 71119 of Public Law 119-21 is written for adults in the expansion group or in an equivalent waiver; this page found no SCDHHS notice with a South Carolina start date, and CMS's December 1, 2023 footnote says the state has a section 1115 demonstration covering some additional low-income adults, which the sources checked do not connect to the requirement.

“The term `applicable individual' means an individual (other than a specified excluded individual (as defined in clause (ii)))-- (I) who is eligible to enroll (or is enrolled) under the State plan under subsection (a)(10)(A)(i)(VIII); or (II) who-- (aa) is otherwise eligible to enroll (or is enrolled) under a waiver of such plan that provides coverage that is equivalent to minimum essential coverage (as described in section 5000A(f)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and as determined in accordance with standards prescribed by the Secretary in regulations); and (bb) has attained the age of 19 and is under 65 years of age, is not pregnant, is not entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A of title XVIII, or enrolled for benefits under part B of title XVIII, and is not otherwise eligible to enroll under such plan.”
Public Law 119-21, section 71119(a), new section 1902(xx)(9)(A)(i), the whole definition of an applicable individual (source)
“The state has a section 1115 demonstration, which provides Medicaid coverage to some additional low-income adults. In some cases, coverage: Includes limitations on eligibility and benefits Is not offered to all residents of the state Includes an enrollment cap”
Medicaid.gov eligibility levels page (table as of December 1, 2023), footnote 9, attached to South Carolina (source)

On the statute's wording, the requirement applies to individuals in the expansion adult group, and to individuals in a waiver group with coverage equivalent to minimum essential coverage who are 19 to 64, not pregnant, not entitled to or enrolled in Medicare and not otherwise eligible under the State plan. South Carolina's program page lists no such group, so the requirement does not reach its parent and caretaker, pregnancy or children's groups. Whether the section 1115 demonstration in the CMS footnote meets the waiver part of the definition is not something the sources checked answer. This is FedRateCalc's reading of the statute; the state decides who is covered.

The federal law behind these changes, Public Law 119-21, is explained with its exemptions and dates on the Medicaid income limits page. The income limits in the table above do not change because of it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the South Carolina Medicaid income limit in 2026?

South Carolina's chart has no group for adults without children, so the headline limits are for Children under 19 (Partners for Healthy Children): $2,766.40 a month for a household of one and $5,720 for four (208% of the federal poverty level), effective March 1, 2026.

Did South Carolina expand Medicaid?

South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid to adults without dependent children. Medicaid.gov's table, as of December 1, 2023, shows "No" for South Carolina in the column for expansion to adults (with a footnote about a section 1115 demonstration), and SCDHHS's 2026 program page lists no adult group without a dependent child.

How do I apply for Medicaid in South Carolina?

SCDHHS asks you to apply even if you are unsure about eligibility, either for SC Medicaid at apply.scdhhs.gov or for federally subsidized healthcare at Healthcare.gov; the Member Help Center is (888) 549-0820.

What changes for South Carolina Medicaid in 2027?

South Carolina's 2026 program pages list no expansion adult group, and the community engagement requirement in Section 71119 of Public Law 119-21 is written for adults in the expansion group or in an equivalent waiver; this page found no SCDHHS notice with a South Carolina start date, and CMS's December 1, 2023 footnote says the state has a section 1115 demonstration covering some additional low-income adults, which the sources checked do not connect to the requirement. The charts on this page are 2026 charts; the community engagement requirement and six-month renewals are separate from the income limits.

Do the same limits apply to South Carolina seniors and people with disabilities?

No. Medicaid for people who are aged, blind or disabled uses different income and resource rules from the MAGI groups in this chart. Ask the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) or see Medicare vs Medicaid on this site.

How often does South Carolina update its Medicaid income limits?

The charts follow the federal poverty guidelines, which HHS updates each year, and South Carolina's chart took effect March 1, 2026. FedRateCalc will look for South Carolina's 2027 chart after HHS publishes the 2027 guidelines.

Related pages

FedRateCalc is not a government site and cannot decide eligibility. Charts change when the state updates them; confirm with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) before relying on a figure.

Sources

All sources are government pages, read October 30, 2026, except the pages marked below, which were read from Internet Archive captures because the agency's site refused direct connections. The Medicaid.gov table is dated December 1, 2023 and is used only as a cross-check.