About Your Coverage

First Choice VIP Care Plus (Medicare-Medicaid Plan) covers South Carolina residents who are on both Medicare and South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid and live in these counties:

Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, and Williamsburg.

Find a doctor

It is important to choose a primary care physician (PCP) from the First Choice VIP Care Plus provider network. As our member, you will get health care coverage from your PCP.

• You may go to any of the providers in our provider directory, but some services may require a referral.
• Check with your PCP before going to see a specialist.

For complete information about your health care coverage, see your Member Handbook (PDF).

What if I get a bill?

If a provider sends a bill directly to you, do not pay the bill. Please submit the bill to First Choice VIP Care Plus for processing and determination of your liability, if any.

About medical emergencies

A medical emergency is when you, or any person with you who has an average knowledge of health and medicine, believe that you have medical symptoms that need medical care right away. You would need this care to prevent loss of life, loss of a limb, or loss of function of a limb. The medical symptoms may be an illness, injury, severe pain, or a medical condition that is quickly getting worse.

If you have a medical emergency:

• Get help as quickly as possible. Call 911 for help or go to the nearest emergency room or hospital. Call for an ambulance if you need it. You do not need to get approval or a referral first from your PCP.
• As soon as possible, make sure that our plan has been told about your emergency. We need to follow up on your emergency care. You or someone else should call to tell us about your emergency care, usually within 48 hours.
• You do not need approval from the plan to receive care in an emergency. The hospital cannot turn you away. It is the law. You have the right to get the care you need. You have the right to say no to treatment. You also have the right to ask for or say no to a transfer to another hospital.
• Call your PCP to make an appointment for care after your emergency. Do not go back to the ER where you were treated unless your PCP tells you to.
• You must use network providers except in an emergency or urgent care situations. If you get routine care from out-of-network providers, neither Medicare nor First Choice VIP Care Plus will be responsible for the costs.

Questions about your coverage? Call Member Services at 1-888-978-0862, (TTY/TDD 711), 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., seven days a week.