How to renew your South Carolina Medicaid coverage

Last verified: June 2026

Renewal notices come from South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections)

Always respond to official renewal notices from South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections). Missing a renewal deadline is the most common reason people lose Medicaid coverage — even when they're still eligible.

South Carolina had significant coverage losses during the 2023–2024 Medicaid unwinding

When continuous enrollment ended in April 2023, South Carolina disenrolled more members per capita than the national average, per KFF analysis. As a non-expansion state with narrow eligibility, many adults who lost coverage during unwinding had limited options for alternative coverage. If you lost Healthy Connections coverage in 2023 or 2024, reapply — you may still qualify, particularly if your household situation has changed.

How Healthy Connections renewal works

Healthy Connections coverage is renewed annually. SCDHHS reviews your eligibility once per year and sends a renewal notice before your renewal date. The notice may be a renewal form to complete, or a notice that your coverage was automatically renewed based on data already in SCDHHS's systems — called ex parte renewal.

If SCDHHS can confirm your eligibility through data matches (income records, Social Security data, DMV records), your coverage renews without action on your part. You'll receive a notice confirming renewal. If SCDHHS cannot confirm eligibility from existing data, a renewal packet will be mailed to the address on file. You must respond within the specified time — typically 30 days — to avoid losing coverage.

If you do not respond to a renewal notice, SCDHHS will terminate your coverage. You can reapply at any time, but there may be a gap in coverage while the new application is processed.

How to renew your Healthy Connections coverage

Online at scdhhs.gov or apply.scdhhs.gov — log in to your account and respond to the renewal notice
By phone — call the Member Help Center at 1-888-549-0820
In person at your local SCDHHS county office
By mail — complete the renewal form sent to you and return it to the address on the form

Keeping your mailing address current with SCDHHS is essential. Renewal notices mailed to an outdated address may result in coverage termination even if you are still eligible.

Changes to report during the year

South Carolina requires members to report certain changes within 10 days:

Change of address
Change in household income — gaining or losing employment
Change in household members — marriage, divorce, new child, someone moving in or out
Obtaining or losing other health insurance coverage
Change in immigration status
Death of a household member

Report changes online at scdhhs.gov, by calling 1-888-549-0820, or at your county SCDHHS office. Unreported changes that affect eligibility can result in overpayments that SCDHHS may seek to recover.

Appeal rights if your coverage ends

If SCDHHS terminates your Healthy Connections coverage, you will receive a written notice explaining the reason and your appeal rights. You have 30 days from the notice date to request a fair hearing. If you request an appeal within 10 days and your coverage was active at the time of the notice, you may have the right to continued coverage while the appeal is pending. Contact SCDHHS or a legal aid organization if you believe your coverage was wrongly terminated.

Post-pandemic coverage losses: the 2023–2024 unwinding

During the COVID-19 public health emergency (March 2020 through March 2023), federal law prohibited states from removing people from Medicaid. When that protection ended, states conducted a mass redetermination of all enrolled members — known as the "unwinding." Millions of people lost coverage nationally between April 2023 and late 2024, many due to administrative reasons like outdated addresses rather than actual ineligibility. If you lost South Carolina Medicaid during that period without receiving a renewal notice, you may still be eligible. Contact South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections) to reapply.

How to complete your renewal

When South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections) sends a renewal notice, here's what to do:

1

Read the notice carefully

Identify exactly what the agency is asking for and the deadline to respond. Renewal packets may ask you to confirm your current income, household size, or address.
2

Update your information

If anything has changed — income, address, phone number, household members — report it now. Outdated contact information is the leading cause of missed renewal notices.
3

Submit the renewal online, by phone, or by mail

South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections)'s online portal is typically the fastest way to complete a renewal. You may also call the enrollment line or mail in your completed packet.
4

Confirm your coverage continued

After submitting, confirm you receive a notice that coverage was renewed. If you don't hear back within a few weeks, call South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections) to verify your status.

If your renewal is denied

A denial must state the reason in writing and explain your right to appeal. You have 90 days from the date of the notice to request a fair hearing. File the appeal quickly — if you appeal before your coverage ends, you may be able to continue coverage during the appeal period, though this depends on timing and the reason for denial.

Common renewal denials include: income that increased above the threshold, failure to respond to the renewal packet, a change in household size that affects eligibility, or immigration status questions. Some of these can be addressed by reapplying with updated information rather than appealing.

Contact South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections) within the 90-day window. A reconsideration or new application filed promptly can often restore coverage retroactively to the date it was lost.

Keeping your account information up to date

The most effective way to avoid renewal problems is to report changes promptly. Federal rules require Medicaid enrollees to report changes that may affect eligibility within a specified period — typically 10 to 30 days depending on the state.

Changes to report: new job or income change, move to a new address, change in household size (new baby, someone moves in or out), gaining or losing other health coverage. Contact South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections) or update your information through the online portal at https://www.scdhhs.gov.