Transferring Medicaid from South Carolina to South Dakota
Moving ends your South Carolina Medicaid — the program is state-bound. The good news: South Dakota lets you apply right away through South Dakota Department of Social Services, with no waiting period for new residents. Keep the two cases from overlapping by closing South Carolina coverage effective the month you leave.
Eligibility usually gets easier in this direction: South Dakota has adopted Medicaid expansion (adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level), while South Carolina has not — many adults who were denied in South Carolina qualify in South Dakota.
Official South Dakota Medicaid agency: South Dakota Department of Social Services ↗ (application page)
Your step-by-step checklist
Before you move
- 1
Gather your documents before the move
You will reapply from scratch: proof of identity, income (pay stubs or award letters), your new address, and immigration documents if applicable.
- 2
Tell South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services you are leaving
Contact the Healthy Connections Medicaid Member Contact Center at (888) 549-0820 to report changes to your case, including an out-of-state move.
South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services ↗
Moving week
- 3
Time the closure to the end of your move month
Keep coverage through the month you travel. Your old state's coverage generally ends the month you stop being a resident.
After you arrive
- 4
Apply with South Dakota Department of Social Services as soon as you arrive
There is no waiting period based on how long you have lived there — apply immediately. Processing: up to 45 days (90 if a disability decision is needed). From January 1, 2027 (earlier in some states), most adults in the expansion group must also show 80 hours a month of work, school, job training, or community service, or an exemption, possibly for 1 to 3 months preceding the application.
Online application ↗ - 5
Ask about retroactive coverage
Most states can pay eligible medical bills from as early as the third month before the month you apply, so ask when you apply if you had care during the gap. For applications filed on or after January 1, 2027, federal law (Public Law 119-21) shortens this to the month before the month you apply for adults in the expansion group and the second month before the month you apply for everyone else.
South Carolina vs South Dakota: the numbers that decide it
| South Carolina (old state) | South Dakota (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Healthy Connections | South Dakota Medicaid |
| Agency | South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services | South Dakota Department of Social Services |
| ACA Medicaid expansion | No — adults need a category | Yes — adults covered on income |
| Adult income limit | no income-only route for adults | 138% of the federal poverty level |
Monthly income limits by household size: South Carolina vs South Dakota
| Household size | South Carolina | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | No income-only adult limit | $1,836 |
| 2 people | No income-only adult limit | $2,489 |
| 3 people | No income-only adult limit | $3,142 |
| 4 people | No income-only adult limit | $3,795 |
| 5 people | No income-only adult limit | $4,449 |
| 6 people | No income-only adult limit | $5,102 |
Limits for adults, computed from each state's published % of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines and rounded up to the dollar. Children, pregnancy, and 65+/disability rules differ; each state's own chart controls and may still show 2025 figures. Full tables: South Carolina · South Dakota · 2026 poverty guidelines.
Moving with more than one benefit?
The checklist generator merges Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, unemployment, and TANF into one ordered to-do list for this exact move.
Build the full South Carolina → South Dakota checklistCommon questions
Can I use my South Carolina Medicaid in South Dakota while I wait?
Generally no. South Carolina Medicaid only pays providers for South Carolina residents, and out-of-state care is limited to emergencies. Once you live in South Dakota, you need South Dakota coverage — apply immediately and ask about retroactive coverage for bills in the gap.
Is there a waiting period for Medicaid in South Dakota?
No. States cannot impose a minimum-residency waiting period. You qualify (or not) on South Dakota's income and category rules from the day you become a resident. The application itself takes up to 45 days (90 if a disability decision is needed).
Can I have Medicaid in two states at once?
No. You can only receive Medicaid from the state where you live. Keeping an old case open while opening a new one can create repayment problems — close the South Carolina case effective your move month.
Where do I actually apply in South Dakota?
Through South Dakota Department of Social Services (online application linked above). Official Medicaid pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.
Related guides
- Moving back: South Dakota to South Carolina Medicaid
- Medicaid in South Carolina: leaving or arriving
- Medicaid in South Dakota: leaving or arriving
- Moving with Medicaid: every state
- South Carolina to Virginia Medicaid
- South Carolina to Tennessee Medicaid
- South Carolina to Pennsylvania Medicaid
- South Carolina to North Dakota Medicaid
Other benefits on the same move
- SNAP: South Carolina to South Dakota
- WIC: South Carolina to South Dakota
- Unemployment: South Carolina to South Dakota
- TANF: South Carolina to South Dakota
Terms on this page: Federal poverty level (FPL) · Medicaid expansion · Retroactive Medicaid coverage
Official sources
Every fact above was checked against these official pages. Last verified .
- SCDHHS — Getting Started (how to apply) — accessed 2026-08-08
- SCDHHS — Program Eligibility and Income Limits — accessed 2026-08-08
- SD DSS — Medicaid — accessed 2026-08-08
- SD DSS — Medicaid changes (HR1) — expansion group definition — accessed 2026-08-08