Medicare Advantage

South Carolina Medicare Advantage Plans for Chronic Conditions in 2027: 12 C-SNPs

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolinians living with certain long-term health conditions will have 12 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans, or C-SNPs, to consider for 2027, according to the federal Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for the coming plan year. Those 12 plans sit inside a broader slate of 97 Medicare Advantage plans available somewhere in the state, which also includes 11 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and 6 Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs).

A C-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built around a specific chronic illness. It is not for everyone with Medicare — eligibility depends on a provider confirming the qualifying condition. Here is what South Carolina residents should know as the Annual Enrollment Period approaches: October 15 through December 7, 2026, with any new choice taking effect January 1, 2027.

What is a C-SNP and who qualifies for one in South Carolina for 2027?

A C-SNP is a Medicare Advantage plan limited to people who have a specific severe or disabling chronic condition that Medicare recognizes, and enrollment requires a provider to verify that condition. Without that verification, a person cannot stay enrolled, no matter how the plan looks on paper.

Each C-SNP is designed around the condition it serves — the provider network, care coordination and drug coverage are shaped to that illness. In South Carolina for 2027, every C-SNP in the state includes Part D prescription drug coverage. Because these plans are specialized, availability is narrower than for general Medicare Advantage plans, and a plan listed statewide may or may not operate in your county.

How many C-SNPs are offered in South Carolina for 2027, and which carriers offer them?

South Carolina has 12 C-SNPs for 2027, offered by five carriers: Aetna (CVS Health) with 2 plans, Devoted Health with 4, HealthSpring with 1, Humana with 2 and UnitedHealthcare with 3. The full plan list, with county counts, is shown in the table on this page.

Two of the 12 are new to the South Carolina market for 2027: DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 045 SC (PPO C-SNP) from Devoted Health and HealthSpring Achieve (HMO C-SNP) from HealthSpring. One plan has been renamed — DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 005 SC (PPO C-SNP) was previously DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PREMIUM 005 SC (PPO C-SNP). The rest carry forward from the current plan year under their existing names.

The mix includes both HMO C-SNPs and PPO C-SNPs, with one Regional PPO C-SNP among UnitedHealthcare's offerings. This explainer does not compare premiums, copays, drug lists, networks or star ratings for any of these plans; those details live in each plan's own Evidence of Coverage and on the Medicare Plan Finder.

Which chronic conditions are named in South Carolina C-SNP plan names for 2027?

Two of the 12 C-SNPs name the condition they serve directly in the plan name: Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP) and HumanaChoice - Diabetes and Heart (PPO C-SNP), both from Humana. By their names, these plans are built for people living with diabetes and certain heart conditions.

The other 10 C-SNPs — from Aetna (CVS Health), Devoted Health, HealthSpring and UnitedHealthcare — do not state the qualifying condition in the plan name. To know which chronic condition any of those plans covers, a reader should check the plan's own materials, call the carrier, use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Qualification always depends on a provider confirming the condition.

Is there a Special Enrollment Period for people with a qualifying chronic condition in South Carolina?

Yes. People who meet the qualifying condition for a C-SNP generally have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that lets them enroll in a matching C-SNP outside the Annual Enrollment Period, once their condition is verified. That means a diagnosis in, say, March 2027 does not force a person to wait until the next fall to join a C-SNP that serves their condition.

The Annual Enrollment Period still matters: it runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with coverage effective January 1, 2027, and it is the main window for most Medicare Advantage decisions. For the SEP rules that apply to a specific situation, Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can walk a South Carolina resident through the timing.

How do I check whether a C-SNP is offered in my South Carolina county for 2027?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code, or call 1-800-MEDICARE, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A plan listed statewide may not be sold in every South Carolina county — each of the 12 C-SNPs is offered in a specific set of counties, ranging from 6 to 46 counties according to the 2027 Landscape data.

For reference, the table on this page shows the county count for each C-SNP: for example, HealthSpring Achieve (HMO C-SNP) in 6 counties, the two Aetna Medicare Chronic Care plans in 7 counties, the four Devoted Health plans in 29 counties, HumanaChoice - Diabetes and Heart (PPO C-SNP) in 45 counties, and Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP) along with the three UnitedHealthcare plans in 46 counties. South Carolina has 46 counties total, so even the broadest C-SNPs may not reach every ZIP code.

Before enrolling, confirm with the plan directly that your preferred doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are covered, and that your condition qualifies.

Where can South Carolina residents get free help comparing Medicare options for 2027?

Two no-cost, unbiased federal resources help South Carolinians sort through Medicare Advantage, C-SNPs and Part D: Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE. Medicare.gov hosts the Plan Finder, which lets a person enter a ZIP code and a drug list to see what is offered locally; 1-800-MEDICARE is staffed around the clock and can answer questions by phone.

Carriers themselves can confirm whether a specific chronic condition qualifies for one of their C-SNPs and what documentation a provider needs to send. The Social Security Administration handles Medicare enrollment and premium questions tied to income.