South Carolina Medicaid Eligibility Calculator (2026)
South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid, and its parent limit is lower than most national tables say: 62% of the poverty line before the disregard, or $1,526 a month for a family of three. Children qualify up to $4,850.
Verified · SCDHHS income limits (Mar. 2026)
Eligibility checklist
The agency’s own figure
SCDHHS’s March 2026 chart sets Parent/Caretaker Relatives at 62% of the poverty line ($1,411.53 a month for three before the 5% disregard). MACPAC’s July 2025 table lists 95%; this site uses the agency’s number.[state]
Partners for Healthy Children covers every child under 19 to 208% of the poverty line, combining Medicaid and CHIP, and pregnant women qualify to 194%.[state]
| Group | FPL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parents | 67% | $892 | $1,209 | $1,526 | $1,843 | $2,477 |
| Pregnancy | 199% | $2,647 | $3,589 | $4,531 | $5,473 | $7,357 |
| Children | 213% | $2,833 | $3,842 | $4,850 | $5,858 | $7,874 |
Palmetto Pathways
South Carolina has proposed a waiver, Palmetto Pathways to Independence, that would cover parents and caretakers between 67% and 100% of the poverty line if they meet work requirements; it would not be a full ACA expansion. CMS approved similar waivers in 2019, withdrew them in 2021, and the state chose not to proceed without the work requirement.[KFF]
Postpartum
South Carolina approved 12-month postpartum coverage on May 6, 2022, and SCDHHS states that coverage for the mother continues for 12 months after the baby’s birth, with the infant covered to age one.[KFF][state]
Applying and older adults
Apply online through Healthy Connections or at a county office. The aged, blind and disabled program uses 100% of the poverty line with a 2026 resource limit of $9,950 for one person.[state]
Worked example
A Columbia mother of a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old earns $1,800 a month. That is 79.1% of the poverty line for 3.
| Parent / caretaker | over by $274 | $1,526 |
| Child 1–5 | covered | $4,850 |
| Child 6–18 | covered | $4,850 |
Nearby: North Carolina · Georgia. How limits are applied · Healthy Connections application · Report a correction