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South Carolina Medicaid for pregnant women

Who qualifies for Healthy Connections Medicaid, the income limit for your household size, what it covers and how to apply with South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Limits as of January 2026 · Checked October 2026 · 26 sources

Apply for Healthy Connections Medicaid

South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services runs it. We're not the state agency, so you apply with them, online or with help from your clinic or hospital.

Start your application

Opens scdhhs.gov

Check your income against the limit

Short answer

In South Carolina, you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid if your household earns up to 199% of the poverty level: about $43,064 a year for a household of two (you and the baby). Coverage lasts 12 months after birth.

South Carolina pregnancy Medicaid income limits for 2026

Find your household size and compare your household's income with the limit. Healthy Connections Medicaid covers pregnancy up to 199% of the federal poverty level.

Healthy Connections Medicaid income limits2026 guidelines, 48 states and DC
HouseholdPer yearPer month
2you + 1 baby$43,064$3,589
3$54,367$4,531
4$65,670$5,473
5$76,973$6,414
6$88,276$7,356
7$99,580$8,298
8$110,883$9,240

Annual and monthly household income. See the 2026 poverty guidelines

Your baby counts

For Medicaid, a pregnant woman's family size counts her plus the number of children she is expected to deliver (42 CFR 435.603(b)). A household of three in South Carolina, two adults expecting one baby, can earn up to $54,367 a year ($27,320 × 199%).

Limits are percents of the poverty level from KFF and Georgetown CCF (January 2026) and include the standard 5-point income disregard. South Carolina rounds and updates on its own schedule, so treat the dollars as approximate.

Sources: KFF State Health Facts; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Federal Register); eCFR (National Archives). Data as of October 2026.

How to apply in South Carolina

  1. Count your household

    Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting, and anyone else the state counts with you. Find your size in the table above.

  2. Apply with South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

    Apply on the state's site (scdhhs.gov). Go to the Healthy Connections Medicaid application

  3. Ask the hospital about temporary coverage

    Hospitals in every state may grant presumptive eligibility, which covers you while your full application is processed.

  4. Keep your coverage after birth

    Healthy Connections Medicaid covers you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends.

Get covered today

Check

Presumptive eligibility lets a qualified clinic or hospital enroll a pregnant person in temporary Medicaid right away, while the full application is processed.

We couldn't confirm whether South Carolina uses it for pregnancy. Hospitals in every state may make these determinations.

Source: KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Data as of January 2025.

12 months

of Healthy Connections Medicaid coverage after birth, since April 22, 2022

KFF postpartum tracker, July 2026

What Healthy Connections Medicaid covers for pregnancy

Coverage after birth, plus the three extras people ask about most, each from our state-by-state trackers.

After birth

12 months
Healthy Connections Medicaid keeps covering you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since April 22, 2022.
Postpartum coverage in every state

Doula care

No
South Carolina Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.We list 133 doulas in South Carolina.
Doulas in South CarolinaDoula coverage in every state

Lactation support

Limited
In South Carolina, Medicaid doesn't pay for lactation visits, but one health plan, First Choice by Select Health, offers lactation services as an extra benefit.
Lactation consultants in South CarolinaLactation coverage in every state

Breast pump

Limited
In South Carolina, Medicaid doesn't pay for breast pumps directly, but all five Healthy Connections health plans offer a free pump as an extra benefit.
Breast pump rules in South Carolina and every state

What's changing

Rules that affect pregnancy coverage in South Carolina now and in 2027.

Sources: U.S. Government Publishing Office; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families

More for families in South Carolina

All 50 states and DC

Questions about pregnancy Medicaid in South Carolina

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in South Carolina?

Healthy Connections Medicaid covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 199% of the federal poverty level. At the 2026 guidelines that's about $43,064 a year for a household of two, $54,367 for three and $65,670 for four. Limits are KFF's figures as of January 2026.

Does my unborn baby count in my household size?

Yes. For Medicaid, a pregnant woman's family size counts her plus the number of children she is expected to deliver (42 CFR 435.603(b)). A single pregnant woman expecting one baby is a household of two; expecting twins, a household of three.

How long does Healthy Connections Medicaid cover you after birth?

12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since April 22, 2022.

Can I get covered the same day in South Carolina?

We couldn't confirm whether South Carolina uses presumptive eligibility for pregnancy. Ask your clinic; hospitals in every state may make presumptive eligibility determinations.

How do I apply for pregnancy Medicaid in South Carolina?

Apply with South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services at scdhhs.gov. Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting as your household, and compare your income with the limit for that size. We're not the state agency and can't take applications.

Does Healthy Connections Medicaid pay for a doula?

South Carolina Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.

Do pregnant women have to meet the new Medicaid work requirements?

Public Law 119-21 (2025) requires states to apply Medicaid work (community engagement) requirements to expansion adults ages 19-64 starting no later than January 1, 2027 (states may start earlier; HHS may grant good-faith exemptions that end by December 31, 2028). People who are pregnant or entitled to postpartum coverage are exempt, as are parents and caretakers of a dependent child 13 or younger.

We're not South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and can't tell you whether you qualify. Apply at scdhhs.gov for a decision. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the state's own notice.

Sources

  1. 1.Medicaid and CHIP Income Eligibility Limits for Pregnant Women as a Percent of the Federal Poverty Level (as of January 2026) KFF State Health Facts. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  2. 2.Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Prepare for Major Medicaid Policy Changes (Table 2, January 2026) KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 3.Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker (as of July 15, 2026) KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. 4.Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Resume Routine Operations Following the Unwinding (Table 7: Presumptive Eligibility, January 2025) KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 5.Healthy Connections Medicaid: how to apply South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of South Carolina State Plan Amendment SC-22-0004 (12-month postpartum coverage), effective 2022-04-22 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 7.Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines (91 FR 1797, Jan. 15, 2026) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Federal Register). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 8.42 CFR 435.603(b), definition of family size eCFR (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
Show all 26 sources
  1. 9.Public Law 119-21, sec. 71119: Requirement for States to Establish Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements (adds SSA sec. 1902(xx)) U.S. Government Publishing Office. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  2. 10.SHO #26-001: Implementation of Section 71109 "Alien Medicaid Eligibility" (April 8, 2026) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 11.42 CFR 447.56(a)(2)(ii), exemptions from Medicaid cost sharing: pregnancy-related services eCFR / Code of Federal Regulations.
  4. 12.Doula Medicaid Project: state-by-state chart of doula Medicaid efforts (last updated Sep. 2026) National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 13.State Trends in Medicaid Coverage of Doula Services (published April 1, 2026; data as of March 2026) National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 14.Extra benefits and services (value-added benefits) (member web page) First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 15.2025-2026 Bill 42: Insurance coverage for lactation services and doula services South Carolina Legislature. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 16.Absolute Total Care Member Handbook (Revision Date: July 2026) Absolute Total Care. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 17.Healthy Blue Member Handbook 2026 (Effective July 1, 2026) Healthy Blue by BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 18.Humana Healthy Horizons in South Carolina Member Handbook 2026 Humana Healthy Horizons in South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 19.Molina Healthcare of South Carolina Medicaid Member Handbook 2026 (Revised October 2026) Molina Healthcare of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 20.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 21.DME Fee Schedule (schedule creation date 10/1/2026) South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 22.Healthy and Connected Member Newsletter - July 2023 South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 23.Extra Benefits (member web page) Healthy Blue by BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  16. 24.Bright Start prenatal program (member web page) First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  17. 25.Services and extra benefits (South Carolina Medicaid member web page) Molina Healthcare of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  18. 26.Value-added services (South Carolina Medicaid member web page) Humana Healthy Horizons in South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.