Medicaid in South Carolina: what you may be able to apply for

🔎 Will this affect your green card?

Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. See details →

What it is

Public health insurance for low-income people, jointly funded by the federal and state governments. It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, pregnancy, and children's care. States run it under federal rules, and each state has its own name and details (California calls it Medi-Cal).

South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid (run by SCDHHS)

Who may qualify

Income limit

Children (under age 19, via Partners for Healthy Children)≤ 213% FPLSC places all children 0-18 under one program, Partners for Healthy Children (PHC). The official 'Medicaid Eligibility Programs, Effective March 1, 2026' document states the limit as '213% FPL, $5,857.50/month for a family of four'; SCDHHS's public eligibility page states the base as '208% FPL ($5,720.00/month for a family of four)' — the ~5-point gap is the mandatory MAGI 5-percentage-point income disregard (start at 208%, add 5 points for the effective 213% ceiling). Meeting the income limit is not automatic eligibility — SCDHHS still determines it.
Pregnant women and infants under age 1≤ 199% FPLOfficial limit up to 199% FPL ($5,472.50/month for a family of four; base 194% + the 5-percentage-point MAGI disregard). Coverage includes full maternity care; the official document states the mother's Medicaid coverage continues for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, and the infant is covered to age one. 🔴 This program requires 'a U.S. citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident Alien' — a pregnant woman who does not meet that status should see the honest note above about 'prenatal care regardless of status (the CHIP unborn-child option)' and verify directly with SCDHHS (1-888-549-0820).
Parents / caretaker relatives (must care for a dependent child)≤ 67% FPL🔴 SC's adult Medicaid limit is extremely low: a parent/caretaker relative must be raising a dependent child, with family income at most 67% FPL (official 'Eligibility Groups' document: $1,842.50/month for a family of four; base 62% + the 5-percentage-point MAGI disregard). This is far below the poverty line and among the lowest adult Medicaid limits in the nation. Adults not raising a dependent child do not fit this tier.
Aged / blind / disabled (SSI-linked)≤ 100% FPLThe core aged/blind/disabled Medicaid tier is 100% FPL: the official 'Eligibility Groups' document states '$1,330/month per individual, or $1,804/month per couple.' SC also has several non-MAGI pathways (nursing-home/long-term care, working-disabled Buy-In, and others), each with its own, higher income/asset tests. ⚠️ This row is officially verified only for the 100% FPL core tier; the specific thresholds of the other non-MAGI pathways were not individually verified, so they are not listed (we do not invent them) — verify your situation with SCDHHS or SSA.

Immigration-status rules in this state

🔴🌟 South Carolina has NOT adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion — like Texas, so SC Medicaid (branded 'Healthy Connections') has no category for low-income adults in general. It covers only narrow groups: children under age 19 (through Partners for Healthy Children, up to 213% FPL), pregnant women and infants under age 1 (up to 199% FPL), parents/caretaker relatives of a dependent child (at a very low 67% FPL), and people who are aged, blind, or disabled (SSI-linked / up to 100% FPL). So a low-income adult in SC who is not pregnant, not raising a dependent child, and not aged/blind/disabled generally has NO Medicaid pathway at all — this has nothing to do with immigration status; it is true for U.S. citizens too. For immigrants: SC's own official eligibility pages state that each covered person must be 'a U.S. citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident Alien.' 🔴 Read that carefully — the full federal 'qualified non-citizen' category is broader than green-card holders (it also includes refugees, asylees, and others; see the federal Medicaid program details, including the five-year bar and the 2025 OBBBA changes). Do not assume you are excluded just because you are not an LPR — confirm your specific status with SCDHHS. Two doors stay open regardless of immigration status: (1) Emergency Medicaid, a federal requirement in every state, pays for emergency care (including labor and delivery) for people who meet every other requirement but lack a qualifying immigration status — check details with SCDHHS. (2) Prenatal care regardless of status: some immigrant-benefit references indicate SC MAY cover prenatal care for the unborn child through the CHIP 'unborn child' option regardless of the mother's immigration status — but we did NOT find this confirmed in SCDHHS's official eligibility documents, so we neither assert nor rule it out; a pregnant immigrant should verify directly with SCDHHS (1-888-549-0820). We did not find any SC state-funded Medicaid fill for immigrants excluded by the federal rules (reported honestly; not a claim that none can exist). This is a changing area — verify with SCDHHS.

How to apply

What you'll need

Proof of identity, income, South Carolina residency, household size, and Social Security numbers for household members; immigration documents only for the person applying for benefits (Emergency Medicaid has broader status rules). See the official application at apply.scdhhs.gov for the exact document list.

Timeline

Most Medicaid applications get an eligibility decision within about 45 days (up to 90 days for disability-based cases — the general federal standard). Meeting the income limit is not automatic eligibility — SCDHHS still determines it.

Go to the official application →

apply.scdhhs.gov (Healthy Connections online application) · or call SCDHHS at 1-888-549-0820

Will it affect your green card? (Public charge)

✅ Regular Medicaid does NOT count in the public charge test — receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application.

⚠️ The one exception: Medicaid that pays for long-term institutional care (a long-term stay in a nursing facility or mental-health institution at government expense) DOES count. Everyday doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and home- and community-based care are not this exception.

➕ Because the current rule excludes all non-institutional Medicaid, Medicaid for children, pregnancy, and emergencies also does not count. In mixed-status families, eligible citizen or qualified children can safely get the care they qualify for.

Public charge is assessed only for people applying for an immigrant visa abroad, or applying for adjustment of status (a green card) inside the United States.

Many categories are exempt by law: refugees, asylees, VAWA self-petitioners, T and U visa applicants, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ), Cuban/Haitian entrants, and others.

Public charge is generally not assessed when a green-card holder renews their card or naturalizes; a returning green-card holder is assessed only in limited cases (for example, an absence of more than 180 days).

This is information only, not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Public charge and your personal status are complex — consult a licensed immigration attorney. We never tell you whether you "will" or "won't" be affected.

USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part G, Chapter 7 (benefits considered) and Chapter 3 (who it applies to) — 8 USCIS-PM G.7 / G.3; regulation 8 CFR 212.21–212.23; 2022 final rule 87 FR 55472. · 2022-12-23

Last checked: 2026-07-21

Policies can change — always check the latest official information.

This site is informational only and is not immigration, legal, or tax advice. For public charge and your personal status questions, consult a licensed immigration attorney.

Other benefits in South Carolina

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")

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