How To Sign Up for Obamacare in South Carolina for 2024
For 2024 health plans, South Carolina open enrollment begins on November 1, 2023 and runs through January 15, 2024. If you enroll by December 15, your coverage will start on January 1, 2024.
Once open enrollment ends, you might qualify for a 60-day special enrollment period that will allow you to sign up for a new health insurance plan. (See What Happens If I Miss the Enrollment Deadline?)
To get covered, you can go directly to the online health insurance marketplace for South Carolina. If you need personalized help, you can reach out to an enrollment assistant. Most enrollment helpers are working remotely during the COVID crisis.
Where's the South Carolina Health Care Exchange?
You can find the health insurance exchange for South Carolina at Healthcare.gov. This is where you can learn about the various health insurance options available to you under the Affordable Care Act. If you see a plan you like, you'll be guided through the enrollment process online.
South Carolina Medicaid Expansion: Do I Qualify for Medicaid Under the ACA?
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) expanded Medicaid eligibility to include more people who couldn’t otherwise obtain health insurance. As written, the ACA would extend Medicaid to all adults with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. (For a single person in South Carolina in 2023, that’s $20,120. For a family of four, it’s $41,400.)
However, the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that it was up to individual states to decide whether to expand Medicaid. As of December 2023, only 10 states have not expanded their programs.
South Carolina Has Not Expanded Medicaid
Because South Carolina has not yet expanded Medicaid eligibility, you may have fewer options for health coverage than people in states where Medicaid is more inclusive.
The Medicaid Coverage Gap
The Affordable Care Act assumed that Medicaid would be expanded to cover all Americans with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. And it created health plan subsidies for people with incomes between 100% - 400% of the poverty level.
That means South Carolina residents with incomes below the poverty level may fall into a coverage gap where they can get neither Medicaid nor ACA subsidies.
Get Help Finding a Health Insurance Plan in South Carolina
Get Help From South Carolina's Health Insurance Exchange
The following links and telephone numbers take you to the official help resources for Healthcare.gov, the health insurance marketplace for South Carolina.
Help by phone: 800-318-2596 (TTY: 855-889-4325)
In-person help: Go to Find Local Help, where you can enter your city and state or zip code to find an application assister, insurance agent, or health insurance broker in your area.
Get Help From a Licensed Insurance Broker
To directly connect with a South Carolina insurance broker who can help you evaluate insurance plans and choose a plan that's appropriate for your situation, call 800-943-6832. (We receive advertising income from the licensed brokers who offer their services through this telephone number.)
More Information
For more detailed information, see How Do I Sign Up for Obamacare in South Carolina?
