Best Medicare Advantage Plans in South Carolina (2027)

Devoted Health is the best Medicare Advantage insurer in South Carolina, with Clover Health and Humana close behind. All three have median CMS star ratings of 4 or more on Medicare’s 1-to-5 scale for care quality and member service.

The table’s cost exposure is your worst-case year. It adds 12 months of premiums to the out-of-pocket maximum, the most a plan charges for in-network care. Clover and Humana have a $9,850 median worst case, while HealthSpring, Wellcare and UnitedHealthcare stay at $7,150 or less with 3.5 stars or fewer.

Devoted is the exception, with 4.5 stars at $7,150. Check whether it sells in your county, and choose Humana if not.

Medicare Advantage plans are private plans that replace Original Medicare, the federal Part A hospital and Part B medical coverage, and most add drug coverage. The median South Carolina county has 40 plans for 2027.

Since 89% of plans charge no premium, the out-of-pocket maximum is where prices differ. Star ratings differ too, because each plan takes its rating from its CMS contract, the agreement a carrier signs with Medicare. Only half of South Carolina’s 18 contracts reach 4 stars.

Members who want any doctor who accepts Medicare can keep Original Medicare and add a Medicare Supplement plan, which helps pay the deductibles, coinsurance and copays Original Medicare leaves to you.

With 89% of South Carolina plans at $0 monthly premium, your total annual cost depends on how much care you use. Out-of-pocket maximums are the more useful comparison point.

Medicare Advantage in South Carolina usually charges no monthly premium, so your bill depends on how much care you need. Copays barely change by plan type. The median primary care visit costs $15 in every type, and a five-day hospital stay costs $1,875 to $2,000 at median daily rates.

Plan type matters in a bad year. The median PPO lets in-network costs climb to $9,850, $2,700 more than the median HMO-POS plan. Pick an HMO or HMO-POS if you expect surgery or ongoing treatment in 2027. A PPO adds little cost for healthy members who want out-of-network doctors.

*Median cost figures across all 61 South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans outside Special Needs Plans, grouped by plan type. All dollar figures rounded to nearest dollar. Source: CMS 2027 data, MoneyGeek analysis.

South Carolina residents can get free plan counseling, compare coverage options and find financial assistance through these state and federal resources.

• South Carolina SHIP (Department on Aging): Trained counselors compare Medicare Advantage plans, explain enrollment periods and check eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs at no cost. Call 1-800-868-9095.
• Medicare Plan Finder: Compares Medicare Advantage plans in your county by ZIP code. Review premiums, out-of-pocket limits, prescription drug coverage and CMS star ratings before enrolling.
• South Carolina Department of Insurance: The state agency that licenses and regulates insurers operating in South Carolina. Use it to verify a carrier's standing, review complaint records or file a formal complaint.
• South Carolina Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs: Helps eligible residents pay Medicare premiums and reduce out-of-pocket costs. Under Medicare’s 2026 limits, which apply to 2027 coverage until Medicare updates them, a single person with monthly income up to $1,816 and resources up to $9,950 can get help with the Part B premium.
• Social Security Administration: Processes Medicare enrollment for most South Carolina residents. Apply for Medicare, check enrollment status or set up Part B premium payments through SSA.

South Carolina has 61 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 outside Special Needs Plans, offered by eight carriers through 18 CMS contracts in 46 counties. The ratings draw on five CMS datasets, the Medicare Plan Landscape File, Plan Benefit Package files, CMS Star Ratings, the CAHPS Report Card Master Table and the Contract/Plan Enrollment file.

A carrier needs plans in at least three of South Carolina’s 46 counties to be scored, and all eight clear that bar.

How We Score Carriers

Each of the eight carriers receives a MoneyGeek score out of five. Scores reflect the median across each carrier’s South Carolina plans, with CMS Star Ratings and CAHPS as plan-weighted medians.

Scores for affordability and for benefits and access are scaled from 3.5 to 5.0 across the eight carriers, and CAHPS scores convert to a 5-point scale. Three categories form each score.

• Affordability (40%): Four cost measures make up this category. Maximum annual cost exposure, which adds annual premiums to the maximum out-of-pocket limit, carries 20%, followed by inpatient hospital costs (10%), specialist costs (6%) and primary care costs (4%).
• Quality and Member Experience (40%): Two contract-level inputs feed this category, with CMS Star Ratings at 60% and CAHPS Rating of Health Plan scores at 40%.
• Benefits and Access (20%): Dental, over-the-counter (OTC), vision and hearing supplemental benefits take 50% of this category, county coverage takes 30% and plan choice per county takes 20%.