South Carolina currently has seven Medicaid programs that can serve children, including a TEFRA program and six additional home and community based 1915(c) waivers. A new waiver for children with serious emotional disturbance was approved in 2020. All programs are based only on the child’s income, waiving parental income for eligibility. For more information about waivers in South Carolina that serve individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities, see Medicaid HCBS Waiver Services from the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. See also South Carolina Medicaid’s page on waivers.

Advocacy Organizations in South Carolina:

Last updated 5/16/25

Programs in South Carolina

  • Target Population: Children who would otherwise require care in an institution with any type of disability, including medical, developmental, intellectual, or psychiatric conditions.
  • Ages: 0-18
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility, Nursing Facility, Hospital
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the program is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Program Type: TEFRA
  • Spots: unlimited
  • Expiration Date: NA
  • Description: Provides Medicaid coverage only.
  • Online State Information: Katie Beckett TEFRA Children
  • How to Apply: Apply for Healthy Connections online and then complete the additional forms for TEFRA.
  • Waiting List: none
  • Target Population: Children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 8500
  • Expiration Date: 6/30/2027
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides adult day health care services, personal care services, respite care services, waiver case management (WCM), incontinence supplies, adult day health care nursing, assistive technology and appliances assessment/consultation, assistive technology and appliances, behavior support services, career preparation services, community services, day activity, employment services, environmental modifications, in-home support services, personal emergency response systems (PERS), private vehicle assessment/consultation, private vehicle modifications, and support center services for individuals with intellectual disabilities, ages 0 to no max age.
  • Online State Information: Community Supports Waiver and this Information Sheet
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Call 800-289-7012 or see this Applying for Services page.
  • Waiting List: There are 33,559 people with developmental disabilities and 333 with TBI on South Carolina’s waiting lists.
  • Target Population: Children who are medically fragile or technology dependent.
  • Ages: 0-21
  • Levels of Care: Hospital
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 3091
  • Expiration Date: 12/31/2026
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides registered nurse care coordination, respite, environmental modifications, and pediatric medical day care for individuals who are medically fragile ages 0-21.
  • Online State Information: Medically Complex Children Waiver
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Call 1-888-971-1637 or online https://phoenix.scdhhs.gov/eref/
  • Waiting List: There are 33,559 people with developmental disabilities and 333 with TBI on South Carolina’s waiting lists.
  • Target Population: Children and adults with head, brain, or spinal cord injuries.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility; Nursing Facility
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 1407
  • Expiration Date: 6/30/2028
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides attendant care/personal assistance services, career preparation services, day activity, residential habilitation, respite care, waiver case management, incontinence supplies, nursing services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and hearing services, peer guidance for participant-directed care, behavioral support services, employment services, environmental modifications, health education for participant-directed care, independent living skills, personal emergency response systems, pest control bed bugs, pest control treatment, private vehicle assessment/consultation, private vehicle modifications, psychological services, specialized medical equipment/supplies/assistive technology – (assessment/consultation), and specialized medical equipment/supplies/assistive technology services to individuals with physical or other disabilities, or brain injury ages 0 or older who meet a nursing facility or ICF/IID level of care.
  • Online State Information: HASCI Waiver and this Information Sheet
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Call 800-289-7012 or see this Applying for Services page.
  • Waiting List: There are 333 people with TBI or spinal cord injury on South Carolina’s waiting lists.
  • Target Population: Children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 13,630
  • Expiration Date: 12/31/2026
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides adult day health care, adult day health care services, personal care 2, personal care 1, residential habilitation, respite care, waiver case management (WCM), adult dental services, adult vision, audiology services, incontinence supplies, nursing services, adult attendant care services, adult companion services, adult day health care nursing, behavior support services, career preparation services, community services, day activity, employment services, environmental modifications, independent living skills, personal emergency response system (PERS), pest control bed bugs, pest control treatment, private vehicle assessment/consultation, private vehicle modifications, specialized medical equipment and assistive technology assessment/consultation, specialized medical equipment, supplies and assistive technology, and support center services for individuals with intellectual disabilities, ages 0 to no maximum age.
  • Online State Information: Intellectual Disability and Related Services Waiver and this Information Sheet
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Call 800-289-7012 or see this Applying for Services page.
  • Waiting List: There are 33,559 people with developmental disabilities and 333 with TBI on South Carolina’s waiting lists.
  • Target Population: Children and adults with HIV/AIDS.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Hospital
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 889
  • Expiration Date: 6/30/2026
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides case management, personal care I, personal care II, attendant care services, companion care-agency, companion care- individual, home accessibility adaptations- environmental modifications, home delivered meals, Medicaid nursing – LPN, Medicaid nursing – RN, pest control, and specialized medical equipment and supplies for individuals with HIV/AIDS ages 0 – no max age.
  • Online State Information: HIV/AIDS Waiver
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Apply through Community Long Term Care (CLTC).
  • Waiting List: None

Also called PCSC

  • Target Population: Children with serious emotional disturbance.
  • Ages: 0-21
  • Levels of Care: Hospital
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 480
  • Expiration Date: 7/31/2025
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides high fidelity wraparound, respite, and individual directed goods and services for individuals with serious emotional disturbance, ages 0-21 years.
  • Online State Information: Palmetto Coordinated System of Care and Continuum of Care
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: For children with Medicaid already, call (888) 549-0820. Otherwise, follow the directions on this page.
  • Waiting List: There are 33,559 people with developmental disabilities and 333 with TBI on South Carolina’s waiting lists.

Additional Information

  • Some waivers, including the Head and Spinal Cord Injury Waiver, are allowing parents/guardians who are not legally responsible to provide self-directed services.
  • The Medically Complex Children Waiver allows paid parent caregiving as a part of self-directed attendant care. Legally responsible individuals including parents of children up to age 21 may receive payment to provide attendant care to waiver participants. Extraordinary care exceeds the range of activities that alegally responsible individual would ordinarily perform in the household on behalf of a person without a disabilityor chronic illness of the same age, and which are necessary to assure the health and welfare of the participant andavoid institutionalization. More information is available on this MCC page.