Medicare Advantage

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage in South Carolina for 2027: 13 Plans, County by County

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Older South Carolinians comparing Medicare Advantage coverage for the coming year will find UnitedHealthcare offering 13 plans across the state for 2027, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. This explainer, published by an independent Medicare education site that is not UnitedHealthcare, not any other carrier and not the government, walks through what the official file says about the carrier's statewide footprint and how to check whether any single plan is available where you live.

How many UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans are offered in South Carolina for 2027?

UnitedHealthcare offers 13 Medicare Advantage plans in South Carolina for 2027, per the CMS Landscape Source File. By plan type, that breaks down to 3 HMO-POS plans and 10 PPO plans, and 10 of the 13 include Part D prescription drug coverage.

Seven of the 13 are Special Needs Plans designed for specific groups: 3 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, 3 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) tied to qualifying health conditions, and 1 Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP) for people who meet nursing-home level-of-care rules. For context, CMS lists 11 other carriers offering Medicare Advantage in South Carolina for 2027, and 97 plans statewide from all carriers combined.

Which UnitedHealthcare plans have the widest county reach in South Carolina for 2027?

Twelve of UnitedHealthcare's 13 South Carolina plans for 2027 are listed in 46 counties, and one — UHC Nursing Home Plan SC-F001 (PPO I-SNP) — is listed in 13 counties, according to the CMS file. The 46-county group includes AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC SC-0004 (PPO), AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC SC-0005 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC SC-0006 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx SC-MA01 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx SC-MA2 (PPO), UHC Complete Care SC-1 (PPO C-SNP), UHC Complete Care Support GS-1A (Regional PPO C-SNP), UHC Complete Care Support SC-7 (PPO C-SNP), UHC Dual Advantage SC-V1 (PPO D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete SC-S001 (PPO D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete SC-S2 (PPO D-SNP) and UHC Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx GS-MA01 (Regional PPO).

Because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, a plan listed in 46 counties statewide may still not be sold in the county where you live. The full plan list is rendered as a table on this page.

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

For 2027, UnitedHealthcare adds 1 new plan in South Carolina and has 0 plans not returning, based on the year-over-year comparison in the CMS Landscape files. The new entry is AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx SC-MA2 (PPO), a PPO without drug coverage.

The file also shows one rename: UHC Dual Advantage SC-V1 (PPO D-SNP) was previously called UHC Dual Complete SC-V001 (PPO D-SNP). A rename does not necessarily mean the plan works the same way as before — if you are currently enrolled in the prior-named plan, read the Annual Notice of Change your plan mails you.

How do I check whether a UnitedHealthcare plan is offered in my South Carolina county and covers my doctors and prescriptions for 2027?

To check a specific plan in your South Carolina county for 2027, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Enter your ZIP code and county, and you will see which of UnitedHealthcare's plans are actually available at your address.

Three checks worth running one at a time:

• Doctors and hospitals: confirm each provider you want to keep is listed in that plan's 2027 network directory.
• Prescriptions: enter the exact name, strength and dosage of every medication to see whether it is on that plan's 2027 formulary and what tier it sits on.
• Pharmacy: check that the pharmacy you use is in the plan's 2027 pharmacy network.

The authoritative documents for any plan are its Evidence of Coverage, Summary of Benefits, provider directory and formulary — all available from UnitedHealthcare directly or through medicare.gov.

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

Before December 7, 2026, South Carolina beneficiaries should review their current coverage and compare it against their options for 2027, because that is the last day of Annual Enrollment 2027. A choice made during the October 15 – December 7, 2026 window takes effect January 1, 2027.

A simple sequence: 1. Read the Annual Notice of Change your current plan mails in the fall; it spells out what changes January 1, 2027. 2. List your doctors, hospitals, medications and preferred pharmacies. 3. Run each candidate plan through the Plan Finder at medicare.gov using that list. 4. If you want to switch, enroll by December 7, 2026.

If you take no action, in most cases your current plan continues into 2027 with whatever changes it has announced — unless the plan itself is ending.

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

South Carolina residents can get free, unbiased help by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24/7, or by using the Plan Finder and plan-comparison tools at medicare.gov. Both are run by the federal Medicare program at no cost to you.

When you call or search, have your Medicare number, your ZIP code and county, your medication list and your preferred providers ready — the more specific your information, the more useful the comparison.