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Having a baby in South Carolina

Medicaid and WIC income limits, paid leave, doula and lactation coverage, breast pumps and childcare prices in South Carolina, with the agency and link to apply for each.

Checked October 2026 · 32 sources

Short answer

Healthy Connections Medicaid covers pregnancy for incomes up to 199% of the poverty level, about $43,064 a year for you and one baby, and for 12 months after birth. WIC takes households of two earning up to $40,034. South Carolina has no state paid family leave program. Full-time infant care at a center runs about $10,344 a year (2022 prices).

What you can get in South Carolina

The short answer for each benefit, with its source. Tap Details for income limits, how to apply and the fine print.

Yes

Can Medicaid cover your pregnancy in South Carolina?

In South Carolina, Healthy Connections Medicaid covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 199% of the federal poverty level (about $43,064 a year for a household of two); Medicaid postpartum coverage lasts 12 months.

Source: KFF State Health Facts, income limits as of January 2026Details
Yes

Can you get WIC in South Carolina?

Yes, if your household's income is at or below $40,034 a year for two people (you and your baby). If you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you may already qualify. You can start online.

Source: South Carolina Department of Public Health, October 2026Details
Voluntary

Does South Carolina have paid family leave?

South Carolina has no state paid family leave program. A 2024 law lets insurers sell paid family leave policies to employers, so you're covered only if your employer buys one.

Source: South Carolina Legislature, October 2026Details
No

Does Healthy Connections Medicaid pay for a doula?

South Carolina Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.

Source: National Health Law Program (NHeLP), October 2026Details
Limited

Does Healthy Connections Medicaid cover a lactation consultant?

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.

Source: First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina, October 2026Details
Limited

Does Healthy Connections Medicaid cover a breast pump?

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.

Source: South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, October 2026Details

Medicaid for pregnancy in South Carolina

Yes

199%

of the federal poverty level is the upper income limit

KFF, January 2026

12 mo

of Medicaid coverage after birth

KFF, July 2026

Program
Healthy Connections Medicaid
Agency
South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Medicaid limit
199% of the poverty level
12-month postpartum coverage since
April 22, 2022
Presumptive eligibility
Not confirmed. Ask the clinic or hospital.

South Carolina did not report presumptive eligibility in KFF's January 2025 survey.

Apply for Healthy Connections Medicaid Check your income
Healthy Connections Medicaid income limit by household size199% of 2026 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

Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting. Gross household income; South Carolina rounds and updates on its own schedule, so treat these as approximate. Compare every state

Sources: KFF State Health Facts; KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families; KFF; South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Data as of October 2026.

WIC in South Carolina

Yes

South Carolina WIC gives pregnant and new parents, babies and children under 5 healthy food, nutrition help and breastfeeding support. You qualify on income at or below 185% of the poverty guidelines, and you may already qualify if you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF.

Program
South Carolina WIC
Agency
South Carolina Department of Public Health
Phone
(855) 472-3432
Apply online
Start the online form
Notes
Online, you can complete a pre-application; the phone number makes in-person or online appointments.

  1. Start online or call

    Contact a WIC agency where you live to start, by phone or online. The agency schedules an in-person or virtual appointment to finish the application and nutrition check.

  2. Go to your appointment

    In person or virtual. Staff finish your application and do a free health and nutrition check.
South Carolina WIC WIC limits for every state
WIC income limits, 48 states and DCJuly 2026 to June 2027
HouseholdPer yearPer month
1$29,526$2,461
2$40,034$3,337
3$50,542$4,212
4$61,050$5,088
5$71,558$5,964
6$82,066$6,839

Gross household income. Count each unborn baby as a household member.

Sources: South Carolina Department of Public Health; USDA Food and Nutrition Administration; USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register). Data as of October 2026.

Doula coverage in South Carolina

No

South Carolina Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.

Payment
No Medicaid doula benefit. Moms on Medicaid pay a doula out of pocket or use a free or sliding-scale community program.
Notes
No Medicaid doula benefit. S0042 and H3108 (2025) would require Medicaid and private coverage; both were stalled as of June 2026. BirthMatters offers free community doula services to birthing people 25 and under.

133

doulas listed in South Carolina, 1 on a Medicaid doula list

CMS NPPES and state doula lists

Doulas in South CarolinaDoula coverage in every state

Sources: National Health Law Program (NHeLP); National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Data as of October 2026.

Lactation support in South Carolina

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.

Notes
No fee-for-service lactation benefit was found in the SCDHHS Physicians Services manual (October 1, 2026), the member handbook, the MCO contract or SCDHHS fee schedules (no S9443). Of the five Healthy Connections health plans, only First Choice by Select Health lists lactation services, as an extra (value-added) benefit, along with a peer support program that uses lactation peers. S.42 (2025), which would require Medicaid plans to cover lactation consulting, has not moved past Senate committee.

South Carolina Medicaid member information

94

lactation consultants listed in South Carolina

CMS NPPES

Lactation consultants in South CarolinaLactation coverage in every state

Sources: First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina; South Carolina Legislature; Absolute Total Care; Healthy Blue by BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina; Humana Healthy Horizons in South Carolina. Data as of October 2026.

Breast pumps through Healthy Connections Medicaid

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.

Pump types
personal electric
When you can get one
Varies by plan: Absolute Total Care, request from 12 weeks before to 30 days after delivery (90 days for NICU babies), one per calendar year; First Choice, one per pregnancy; Humana, one non-hospital-grade pump every 2 years
Notes
Pumps come through the managed care plans as extra (value-added) benefits rather than as a fee-for-service benefit: the SCDHHS DME fee schedule (10/1/2026) has no E0602 to E0604, and SCDHHS tells members to check whether their plan covers pumps. All five MCOs list a pump as an extra benefit in 2026: Absolute Total Care, First Choice by Select Health, Healthy Blue and Molina offer an electric pump, and Humana offers one non-hospital-grade pump every 2 years. No pump benefit was found for members in fee-for-service Medicaid.

South Carolina Medicaid member information

Sources: South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; Absolute Total Care; Healthy Blue by BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina; First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina; Molina Healthcare of South Carolina. Data as of October 2026.

Childcare costs in South Carolina

$10,344

a year ($199 a week), the median for infant care at a center

DOL state estimate, 2022

$7,152

a year ($138 a week) in a family childcare home

DOL state estimate, 2022

Full-time provider prices before any subsidy, in 2022 dollars. The national median for center infant care was $12,647 a year. 46 county infant center prices were not surveyed in 2022; DOL estimated them from the price trend between other survey years.

Center infant care, lowest and highest county2022 prices
CountyPer year
Lancaster Countyhighest$11,558
Barnwell Countylowest$4,882

46 of 46 counties have a center infant price.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Data as of October 2026.

Questions about having a baby 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 poverty guidelines that's about $43,064 a year for a household of two, $54,367 for three and $65,670 for four. Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting.

How long does Medicaid cover you after birth in South Carolina?

Healthy Connections Medicaid covers you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since April 2022.

What is the WIC income limit in South Carolina?

From July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, South Carolina WIC uses USDA's limits: $40,034 a year for a household of two, $50,542 for three and $61,050 for four. If you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you may already meet the income rule. Call 1-855-472-3432 to apply.

Does South Carolina have paid family leave?

South Carolina has no state paid family leave program. A 2024 law lets insurers sell paid family leave policies to employers, so you're covered only if your employer buys one.

Does Healthy Connections Medicaid pay for a doula?

South Carolina Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.

How much does infant daycare cost in South Carolina?

The median price for full-time infant care at a center in South Carolina was $199 a week, about $10,344 a year, in 2022 (U.S. Department of Labor). Prices have risen since, so treat it as a floor and look up your county.

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.South Carolina WIC (state WIC page) South Carolina Department of Public Health. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 9.South Carolina WIC: state agency contact USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 10.South Carolina WIC: online application or interest form South Carolina Department of Public Health. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 11.WIC: 2026/2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines (91 FR 23050, Apr. 29, 2026) USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 12.S.C. Code Title 38, Chapter 103: Paid Family Leave Insurance South Carolina Legislature. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 13.2024 Report on the Utilization of Family Leave Insurance South Carolina Department of Insurance. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 14.State paid family and medical leave contributions and benefits (Feb. 6, 2026) Mercer Law & Policy Group. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 15.Doula Medicaid Project: state-by-state chart of doula Medicaid efforts (last updated Sep. 2026) National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
Show all 32 sources
  1. 16.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.
  2. 17.Extra benefits and services (value-added benefits) (member web page) First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 18.2025-2026 Bill 42: Insurance coverage for lactation services and doula services South Carolina Legislature. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. 19.Absolute Total Care Member Handbook (Revision Date: July 2026) Absolute Total Care. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 20.Healthy Blue Member Handbook 2026 (Effective July 1, 2026) Healthy Blue by BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 21.Humana Healthy Horizons in South Carolina Member Handbook 2026 Humana Healthy Horizons in South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 22.Molina Healthcare of South Carolina Medicaid Member Handbook 2026 (Revised October 2026) Molina Healthcare of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 23.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 24.DME Fee Schedule (schedule creation date 10/1/2026) South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 25.Healthy and Connected Member Newsletter - July 2023 South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 26.Extra Benefits (member web page) Healthy Blue by BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 27.Bright Start prenatal program (member web page) First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 28.Services and extra benefits (South Carolina Medicaid member web page) Molina Healthcare of South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 29.Value-added services (South Carolina Medicaid member web page) Humana Healthy Horizons in South Carolina. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 30.National Database of Childcare Prices: 2008-2022 (Data File) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  16. 31.National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report (September 2024) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  17. 32.National Database of Childcare Prices: State-Level Estimates and Affordability Rankings 2022 U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.

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