Medicare Advantage

Wellcare Medicare Advantage in South Carolina for 2027: 7 Plans, County by County

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Wellcare, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services groups under Centene (WellCare), will offer 7 Medicare Advantage plans across South Carolina for the 2027 plan year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for 2027. Those plans sit alongside offerings from 11 other carriers statewide, for a combined total of 97 Medicare Advantage plans available somewhere in South Carolina next year.

2027 plan lineupSouth Carolina

This explainer is published by an independent Medicare education site. We are not the government, not affiliated with CMS, and not affiliated with Wellcare or any other carrier. The counts below come straight from the official CMS landscape file; plan details — premiums, benefits, doctor networks, drug lists, and star ratings — are not covered here and should be checked on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, or in each plan's Evidence of Coverage.

What is Wellcare offering across South Carolina for 2027?

Wellcare is offering 7 Medicare Advantage plans in South Carolina for 2027, broken down as 1 HMO, 4 HMO-POS plans, and 2 PPOs. Of those 7, one is a Special Needs Plan — a D-SNP for people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. Wellcare does not list a chronic-condition SNP (C-SNP) or an institutional SNP (I-SNP) in the state for 2027. Six of the seven plans include Part D prescription drug coverage built in; one is a Medicare Advantage plan without drug coverage. For the full statewide picture, Wellcare is one of 12 carriers offering Medicare Advantage in South Carolina for 2027, and together those carriers list 97 plans.

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

All 7 Wellcare plans in South Carolina for 2027 are listed in 46 counties, which is a very wide statewide reach. Those plans, listed alphabetically, are Wellcare Absolute Total Care Dual Align (HMO D-SNP), Wellcare Assist (HMO-POS), Wellcare Assist Open (PPO), Wellcare Giveback (HMO-POS), Wellcare Patriot Giveback (HMO-POS), Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS), and Wellcare Simple Open (PPO). You can see each plan with its type and drug-coverage status in the table on this page. Because county reach is measured at the plan level, two plans can both be "statewide" and still differ in which specific counties they serve, so always confirm by ZIP code.

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

Wellcare is not adding any new Medicare Advantage plans in South Carolina for 2027, and none of its 2026 plans are leaving the state for 2027, according to the CMS landscape comparison. In other words, the lineup is the same seven plans year over year at the state level. That stability affects shopping in two ways: current Wellcare members in South Carolina will not see their plan discontinued for 2027 based on the landscape file, and shoppers comparing options will see the same Wellcare plan names they may have seen in 2026. Even so, plan documents can change from one year to the next — premiums, cost-sharing, drug formularies, provider networks, and extra benefits are all set annually — so review the Annual Notice of Change your plan mails in the fall.

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

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code; the tool will show which of Wellcare's 7 South Carolina plans are actually available in your county for 2027. The statewide list on this page tells you what Wellcare files with CMS; the Plan Finder tells you what you can personally enroll in. From there, three checks matter:

• Doctors and hospitals: look up each provider in the plan's online directory, or call the plan, to confirm they are in-network for 2027.
• Prescriptions: enter every medication you take into the Plan Finder to see each drug's tier, restrictions, and estimated yearly cost under the plan.
• Pharmacies: confirm that your preferred pharmacy — retail or mail-order — is in the plan's pharmacy network.

If you take a specialty medication or see a specific specialist, those two checks often decide the comparison more than anything else.

What should I do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, confirm that the plan you want for 2027 — whether you are staying put or switching — still fits your doctors, drugs, and county. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, and the plan you pick during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. A short checklist:

• Read the Annual Notice of Change from your current plan if you have one.
• Make a list of your doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, and preferred pharmacies.
• Run that list through medicare.gov's Plan Finder using your ZIP code.
• Save or print your enrollment confirmation once you choose.

There is no advantage to waiting until the last day; there is also no penalty for taking the time you need inside the window.

Where can I get free help comparing Medicare plans in South Carolina?

Free, unbiased help is available directly from Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and at medicare.gov, which hosts the official Plan Finder. Both resources can show every Medicare Advantage plan available in your South Carolina county for 2027 — not only Wellcare's — and can walk you through enrollment. If you prefer to talk with a licensed agent, confirm first whether the agent represents multiple carriers or only one, since that shapes the options you will be shown.