Transferring Medicaid from South Carolina to Wisconsin
You cannot carry South Carolina Medicaid into Wisconsin. Each state runs its own program, so the sequence is: close the South Carolina case at the end of your move month, then apply with BadgerCare Plus immediately. New residents are judged on Wisconsin's income and category rules, not on time lived in the state.
Eligibility gets easier in this direction for some adults: Wisconsin has not adopted Medicaid expansion either, but it covers adults on income up to 100% of the federal poverty level, while South Carolina does not cover adults on income alone.
Official Wisconsin Medicaid agency: Wisconsin Department of Health 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 Wisconsin Department of Health 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). Federal law may add a work condition for adults covered on income from January 1, 2027; ask the agency what it requires.
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 Wisconsin: the numbers that decide it
| South Carolina (old state) | Wisconsin (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Healthy Connections | BadgerCare Plus |
| Agency | South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services | Wisconsin Department of Health Services |
| ACA Medicaid expansion | No — adults need a category | No — but adults are covered on income up to 100% FPL |
| Adult income limit | no income-only route for adults | 100% of the federal poverty level |
Monthly income limits by household size: South Carolina vs Wisconsin
| Household size | South Carolina | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | No income-only adult limit | $1,330 |
| 2 people | No income-only adult limit | $1,804 |
| 3 people | No income-only adult limit | $2,277 |
| 4 people | No income-only adult limit | $2,750 |
| 5 people | No income-only adult limit | $3,224 |
| 6 people | No income-only adult limit | $3,697 |
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 · Wisconsin · 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 → Wisconsin checklistCommon questions
Can I use my South Carolina Medicaid in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, you need Wisconsin coverage — apply immediately and ask about retroactive coverage for bills in the gap.
Is there a waiting period for Medicaid in Wisconsin?
No. States cannot impose a minimum-residency waiting period. You qualify (or not) on Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin?
Through Wisconsin Department of Health Services (online application linked above). Official Medicaid pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.
Related guides
- Moving back: Wisconsin to South Carolina Medicaid
- Medicaid in South Carolina: leaving or arriving
- Medicaid in Wisconsin: leaving or arriving
- Moving with Medicaid: every state
- South Carolina to North Dakota Medicaid
- South Carolina to Pennsylvania Medicaid
- South Carolina to Tennessee Medicaid
- South Carolina to Virginia Medicaid
Other benefits on the same move
- SNAP: South Carolina to Wisconsin
- WIC: South Carolina to Wisconsin
- Unemployment: South Carolina to Wisconsin
- TANF: South Carolina to Wisconsin
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
- Wisconsin DHS — BadgerCare Plus — accessed 2026-08-08
- Wisconsin BadgerCare Plus Eligibility Handbook — 16.1 Income — accessed 2026-08-08