Medicare Advantage

Aetna Medicare Advantage in South Carolina for 2027: 15 Plans, County by County

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For the 2027 plan year, Aetna (which CMS groups as Aetna (CVS Health)) is offering 15 Medicare Advantage plans across South Carolina, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files. Those plans are part of a broader statewide field that includes 11 other carriers, for a total of 97 Medicare Advantage plans available somewhere in the state next year.

The numbers below are statewide counts. Because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, a plan listed here may or may not be available where you live. This article is published by an independent Medicare education site; it is not the government, not affiliated with Medicare, and not Aetna or any other insurance carrier.

What is Aetna offering across South Carolina for 2027?

Aetna has 15 Medicare Advantage plans available in South Carolina for the 2027 plan year. The mix is 9 HMO plans and 6 PPO plans. Within that total, 2 are Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, and 2 are Chronic-Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) for people with qualifying chronic conditions. Aetna is not offering an Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP) in the state for 2027.

Fourteen of the 15 Aetna plans include Part D prescription drug coverage built in. One plan is offered without drug coverage. For context, 11 other carriers are also selling Medicare Advantage plans somewhere in South Carolina for 2027, and the statewide total across all carriers is 97 plans.

The full plan-by-plan list for Aetna is shown in the table on this page rather than repeated in prose.

Which Aetna Medicare Advantage plans reach the most South Carolina counties in 2027?

Three Aetna plans tie for the widest county reach in South Carolina for 2027, each offered in 45 counties: Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO), Aetna Medicare Full Dual (HMO D-SNP) and Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO). Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO) is offered in 35 counties, and Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP) is offered in 24 counties.

From there, county reach steps down through plans like Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO) at 15 counties and several Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO) listings at 12, 7 and 3 counties. The two Chronic-Condition plans — Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) and Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP) — are each offered in 7 counties, and C-SNPs also have medical eligibility rules on top of geography. The table on this page shows the county count for every Aetna plan.

What is new or not returning for Aetna in South Carolina for 2027?

Aetna has 1 new Medicare Advantage plan in South Carolina for 2027 and 1 plan that is not returning, based on the year-over-year comparison in the CMS Landscape files. The new plan is Aetna Medicare Signature Extra (HMO), listed in 3 counties.

In addition, one existing PPO has been renamed: what was Aetna Medicare Eagle Giveback (PPO) in 2026 appears as Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO) for 2027. A rename is not the same as a new plan, but the plan name on your mail and member card can change. If you are already in an Aetna plan, the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that arrives in the fall explains whether your specific plan is continuing, changing, being renamed or ending, and what your options are if it is ending.

How do I check whether an Aetna plan is offered in my South Carolina county and covers my doctors and drugs?

The authoritative place to check county availability, provider networks and drug coverage for any 2027 Medicare Advantage plan is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Enter your ZIP code and county, and the tool will show only the plans actually sold where you live.

For each plan, you can look up whether specific doctors, hospitals and pharmacies are in network and whether your prescriptions are on the plan's formulary, along with any coverage rules. The plan's own Evidence of Coverage and provider and pharmacy directories, available from the carrier, are the final word on benefits, networks and drug lists. This article does not quote premiums, copays, benefits, networks or star ratings for any Aetna plan, by design.

What should South Carolina Medicare beneficiaries do before December 7, 2026?

Mark the Annual Enrollment Period on the calendar: October 15 through December 7, 2026. Any Medicare Advantage or Part D choice you make in that window takes effect January 1, 2027.

A simple checklist for South Carolina readers:

• Read the Annual Notice of Change from your current plan when it arrives in the fall.
• Make a list of your doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and prescriptions.
• On medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code and compare the 2027 plans actually offered in your county — from Aetna and the 11 other carriers in the state.
• If your current plan is ending, note any Special Enrollment Period rights explained in your plan's notice.

There is no need to rush; the date is fixed, and the same tools are available throughout the window.

Where can South Carolina residents get free Medicare help?

Two no-cost, non-sales resources are available to every Medicare beneficiary in South Carolina. The first is medicare.gov, which hosts the Plan Finder and official explanations of enrollment periods. The second is 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), staffed around the clock, where a representative can walk through what is offered in your county and how to enroll.

For questions about Social Security, Medicare premiums withheld from benefits, or signing up for Medicare itself, the Social Security Administration can help at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213.