Medicare help · The Lowcountry
From the peninsula to West Ashley, James Island and Johns Island, Charleston has one of the deepest Medicare menus in South Carolina — and a care map split between MUSC and Roper St. Francis that decides the shortlist before price does.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
No cost, no pressure. Prefer to call? (702) 706-6564.
Medicare in Charleston
Charleston County offers a wide Medicare Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier licensed in South Carolina and the full Part D lineup. The catch is that Charleston’s care is organized into systems that contract separately: MUSC Health downtown and its regional hospitals, Roper St. Francis Healthcare with Roper Hospital and Bon Secours St. Francis in West Ashley, Trident Health in North Charleston and Summerville, and Novant Health East Cooper across the Ravenel Bridge. A plan that includes MUSC may exclude Roper, or the reverse.
Charleston is also a Navy and Air Force retirement town, and a landing place for retirees from the Northeast who arrive already on Medicare. We compare what is actually offered at your ZIP code, confirm your doctors and pharmacy, and set Advantage beside a supplement so you can see the trade-off plainly.
Major care in the area includes:
Plan networks differ — we check that your doctors and hospital are covered before you enroll.
Downtown peninsula, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Daniel Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah and Seabrook, Hollywood, Ravenel, Edisto.
Turning 65? Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7 months around your birthday. Already on Medicare? The Annual Election Period is Oct 15–Dec 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan 1–Mar 31. Moving to South Carolina, losing a plan, or a FEMA hurricane declaration each open a Special Enrollment Period.
Your options
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a local network — so your providers, your county and your prescriptions matter.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and lets you see any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare — MUSC, Prisma, Duke or Emory across the line, or the hospital in your county seat.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksAdvantage plans built for a chronic condition, for nursing-facility care, or for people with both Medicare and Healthy Connections Medicaid.
About SNPsQuestions from Charleston
Charleston County typically has one of the widest choices in South Carolina: a broad Medicare Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in the state, and all standalone Part D plans. Availability is set by ZIP code and changes each plan year; we compare what is offered at your address.
It depends on the specific plan’s network, and the contracts change every year. Before you enroll we confirm your providers at MUSC, Roper, Bon Secours St. Francis, Trident or East Cooper are in-network and your prescriptions are on the formulary, so there are no surprises in January.
Nothing. Independent agents are paid by the carriers when you enroll, so comparing plans and reviewing your coverage each year is free to you.
Nearby
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, SC License #18580338), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 13, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or I-CARE (South Carolina SHIP) at 800-868-9095.