Health insurance after a layoff in South Carolina
When you lose job-based coverage in South Carolina, you have a 60-day window to enroll through the Marketplace, plus the option to keep your old plan through COBRA (usually at full price). South Carolina uses the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace, at www.healthcare.gov. South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid, so for most adults the Marketplace is the path.
Just laid off? Health coverage is one of five clocks
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South Carolina coverage, at a glance
Marketplace
HealthCare.gov (federal)
Enroll at
www.healthcare.gov
Special enrollment
60 days from losing job coverage
Medicaid
Healthy Connections, not expanded
South Carolina uses the federal HealthCare.gov exchange and has NOT expanded Medicaid, so a coverage gap leaves the poorest adults (below 100% FPL) ineligible for both Medicaid and marketplace subsidies; its Medicaid program is branded "Healthy Connections" (administered by SCDHHS).
Subsidies in 2026 and 2027: the enhanced pandemic-era Marketplace subsidies expired December 31, 2025, and as of September 2026 Congress had not restored them. Subsidies still exist but are smaller, and the income cutoff (about 4 times the poverty line) is back, so price your real numbers at www.healthcare.gov rather than assuming. If your income dropped a lot, a subsidized Marketplace plan can still beat COBRA.
Your 60-day window covers the rest of 2026. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage on HealthCare.gov: November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and pick by December 15 for coverage from January 1.
Both clocks run about 60 days: COBRA gives you 60 days to elect (retroactive to when your plan ended), and the Marketplace gives you a 60-day Special Enrollment window. Don't let either run out.
This is general information, not insurance or financial advice. Confirm plans, prices, and eligibility at www.healthcare.gov before you rely on them.
South Carolina health coverage FAQ
Where do I buy health insurance in South Carolina after a layoff?
South Carolina uses the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace. Enroll at www.healthcare.gov. Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment window, so you don't have to wait for open enrollment. You can also keep your old plan through COBRA, usually at full price.
Do I qualify for Medicaid in South Carolina if I lost my job?
South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid, so adults without dependents may not qualify even at very low income (the "coverage gap"). Check Healthy Connections eligibility, but for most laid-off adults the Marketplace is the path; subsidies can lower the cost sharply.
How long do I have to get a Marketplace plan in South Carolina?
A 60-day Special Enrollment Period that starts when you lose job-based coverage, which covers you for the rest of this year. Subsidies are based on your household income for the whole calendar year, not last year: for 2026 coverage that includes what you earned before the layoff and any severance, so enter your expected full-year income at www.healthcare.gov to see your real cost. For 2027 you choose again in open enrollment, priced on what you expect to earn in 2027. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage on HealthCare.gov: November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and pick by December 15 for coverage from January 1.
Keep going
COBRA vs. the Marketplace, compared
The two 60-day windows, the real costs, and the 2026 subsidy change.
File for unemployment in South Carolina
The official South Carolina portal, the waiting week, and what to have ready.
Was your layoff covered by WARN in South Carolina?
Where South Carolina posts mass-layoff notices, and the 60-day notice rule.
Health coverage in another state
Where to enroll and the Medicaid rules for every other state.
Reviewed September 2026, unchanged since September 2026. Marketplaces, subsidies, and Medicaid rules change; confirm current details at the official South Carolina site (www.healthcare.gov) before relying on them.