Updated: Feb. 26, 2026
Sickle Cell Disease Program
DPH’s Sickle Cell Disease Program provides care coordination and payment assistance for eligible persons diagnosed with sickle cell disease to receive medical services, supplies, equipment and/or medications as prescribed by their medical provider. The DPH Sickle Cell Program provides assistance for individuals across the lifespan covering both children and adults. For children under the age of 18, services will be provided under the Children's Rehabilitative Services program. For all adults 18 and older, services are provided under the Sickle Cell Allotment Program regardless of insurance status. The Health Insurance Premium and Case Management program, offered through a partnership with Accessia Health, is another option for clients who have no insurance and is based upon availability and funding.
Eligibility Requirements
- U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency
- South Carolina residency
- Household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level
- Physician diagnosed sickle cell disease or other congenital hemoglobinopathies.
Services
- Payment for outpatient medical services, supplies, equipment, and prescription medications related to treatment of sickle cell disease
- Care coordination as needed
- Nursing, nutrition, and/or social work consultation as needed (depending on regional resources)
- Health Insurance Premium Assistance and Case Management (based upon availability and funding)
Insurance Assistance
DPH is proud to partner with Accessia Health to offer assistance with cost of health insurance premiums, associated out of pocket costs, and other services that may be helpful to persons with sickle cell disease. If you would like additional information on services provided by Accessia Health outside of the DPH Sickle Cell Disease Program, please send an email to assistance@accessiahealth.org or call 1 (800) 366-7741.
How to Apply
Contact your nearest regional CYSHCN office.
Resources
- Sickle Cell Disease Brochure (pdf)
- Sickle Cell Services for Adults Booklet (pdf)
- SC Sickle Cell Disease Provider Statewide Directory (pdf)
- Health Care Transition and Sickle Cell Disease (pdf)
- What is Sickle Cell Disease?
Questions?
If you have questions about getting services for your child with special needs, please contact us or one of the community-based sickle cell education and counseling agencies listed below:
- James R. Clark Memorial Sickle Cell Foundation
1420 Gregg St., Columbia SC
(800) 506-1273 - L.D. Barksdale Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation
645 South Church St., Spartanburg SC
(864) 582-9420 - Orangeburg Area Sickle Cell Foundation
825 Summers Ave., Orangeburg SC
(803) 534-1716 - COBRA Human Services Agency Sickle Cell Program
3962 Rivers Ave., Charleston SC
(800) 354-4704
Help with NCAA Sickle Cell Trait Results
Are you a student-athlete entering or transferring to another college or university? Do you need assistance with obtaining sickle cell trait (SCT) test results? If you were born in South Carolina, you can follow these steps to obtain your results. If you were born in another state, you can also find information on how to contact the state you were born in to obtain those results on the Hemoglobin/Sickle Cell Test Results for NCAA Requirements webpage.
Many individuals, agencies, and organizations from across the state combined to produce the SC Sickle Cell Disease State Plan. This resulted in the creation of a plan to address the care and treatment of persons living with SCD across the lifespan in South Carolina.
For more information, email Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, call us at (803) 898-0784 or visit us at one of our statewide locations. See a brief description of services provided by DPH's Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program.