Health Insurance Maryland Guide: 2027 Plans, Dates & Help

Updated for the 2027 plan year (October 2026). Reviewed by a licensed agent.

Health insurance Maryland at a glance for 2027

Maryland runs its own state-based exchange, expanded Medicaid, and layers a state premium subsidy on top of federal savings. Those three facts shape almost every decision you will make this fall. The table below summarizes them, and each row links to the official source further down the page.

Maryland’s uninsured rate was 6.3% in 2024, below the national rate of 8.2%, according to America’s Health Rankings using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data. If you are comparing costs, start with our affordable health insurance in Maryland guide, which walks through every savings program by income.

Where to buy: Maryland Health Connection

If you need individual health insurance, Maryland Health Connection is the only place to get federal premium tax credits and Maryland’s own premium assistance on a private plan. It is a state-based marketplace, so Maryland residents do not use HealthCare.gov. The same application also checks whether anyone in your home qualifies for Medicaid or MCHP.

You can apply at MarylandHealthConnection.gov, through the Enroll MHC mobile app, by phone at 1-855-642-8572, or with a navigator or authorized broker. The exchange is administered by the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, a public corporation and independent unit of state government created in 2011.

Every plan sold there covers the ACA’s essential health benefits: doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, maternity, mental health and preventive care. No insurer can turn you down or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition. New to the vocabulary? Our explainer on the health insurance Marketplace covers metal tiers, networks and deductibles.

2027 Open Enrollment dates in Maryland

Maryland’s Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Pick a plan by December 31 and your coverage starts January 1. Enroll between January 1 and January 15 and it starts February 1, according to Maryland Health Connection’s enrollment FAQ and its October 7, 2026 announcement.

That December 31 cutoff is later than the December 15 cutoff in HealthCare.gov states, which matters if you are comparing advice written for other states. Earlier this year, Maryland’s exchange board had planned a shorter window because of a federal rule. A federal court vacated that rule in June 2026, and the exchange confirmed the January 15 end date.

Outside Open Enrollment, a move, a new baby, marriage or losing job-based coverage can open a Special Enrollment Period. For the national calendar, see our Open Enrollment 2027 guide.

Maryland Premium Assistance and the young adult boost

Maryland is one of a small number of states that pays part of residents’ premiums with state money. In 2027, Marylanders of any age with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level may get Maryland Premium Assistance in addition to the federal Advance Premium Tax Credit, according to Maryland Health Connection.

The help is applied automatically when an eligible person enrolls in a bronze, silver or gold plan through Maryland Health Connection. Marylanders ages 18 to 37 receive extra help on top of the regular state assistance, which continues the state’s earlier young adult subsidy. You do not fill out a separate form; the Get an Estimate tool shows the combined savings.

Maryland also runs a State Reinsurance Program under a federal Section 1332 waiver, created by House Bill 1795 in 2018. It helps carriers with the cost of very high-cost enrollees, which holds down premiums for everyone. The Maryland Insurance Administration says the waiver is approved through 2028.

Federal rules still set the base subsidy. For 2027, the IRS caps what you pay for the benchmark silver plan at 2.15% to 10.22% of income, and there is no federal tax credit above 400% of the poverty level. Details are in our 2027 health insurance subsidies guide.

Maryland Medicaid, HealthChoice and MCHP

Maryland expanded Medicaid under the ACA, so most adults with incomes up to 138% of the poverty level can qualify, per the KFF expansion tracker. For 2027 that is about $22,025 for one person or $45,540 for a family of four. Most members get care through HealthChoice, the state’s Medicaid managed care program.

Children in families that earn too much for Medicaid can get coverage through the Maryland Children’s Health Program (MCHP). A child may qualify even when the parents do not. Medicaid and MCHP enrollment is open all year.

Two federal changes are worth knowing. Starting January 1, 2027, Maryland Health Connection says all Medicaid members will need to renew every six months instead of every 12, and some adults will need to meet new work requirements. Starting October 1, 2026, some lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and asylees, no longer qualify for Medicaid. Pregnant people of any immigration status remain eligible through the Healthy Babies Program.

Insurers selling 2027 health insurance in Maryland

Four insurance companies sell 2027 individual plans in Maryland: CareFirst (BlueChoice HMO and PPO plans), Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealthcare (through Optimum Choice) and Wellpoint Maryland. Both the Maryland Insurance Administration’s rate filings and the exchange’s 2027 announcement list these carriers.

Carriers proposed an average 13.7% increase for 2027 individual plans. In September 2026 regulators approved an average of 14.6%, the second straight year of double-digit increases, as reported by Maryland Matters. Nationally, KFF found insurers proposed a median 15% increase.

Not every carrier is in every county, and networks differ sharply. Kaiser Permanente uses its own medical centers, while CareFirst’s PPO plans use a broader network. Before you choose health insurance, Maryland shoppers should search each plan’s provider directory for their doctors, hospital and prescriptions. Our guide on how to choose a health plan explains HMO versus PPO.

The 2027 out-of-pocket maximum for any Marketplace plan is $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family.

Immigrant families: what changes in 2027

Many lawfully present Marylanders can still buy a private plan for 2027, but fewer will get financial help. Starting January 1, 2027, federal law limits premium tax credits to lawful permanent residents (green card holders), Cuban and Haitian entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants, according to Maryland Health Connection’s changes page and HealthCare.gov.

Others, such as refugees, asylees and people with Temporary Protected Status, can still enroll but would pay the full price. Mixed-status households can apply for eligible members only. You do not need a Social Security number to apply, though anyone requesting financial help who files taxes will be asked for one.

Easy Enrollment: get covered from your tax return

Maryland does not charge a state tax penalty for going without health insurance. Maryland instead uses the tax return to connect people with coverage. On Maryland Forms 502 and 502B, you can check a box that lets the Comptroller share basic household and income information with the exchange.

If you check it, Maryland Health Connection mails you a letter about your likely eligibility, and you have 35 days from the letter’s date to enroll under a special “Tax Time” enrollment period. The Easy Enrollment Program is a useful safety net if you miss Open Enrollment, but do not plan around it; the window is short.

Free local help and where to complain

Navigators provide free, in-person help in every Maryland county through regional organizations called connector entities. HealthCare Access Maryland covers Baltimore City and much of central Maryland, AHEC West covers Frederick and the western counties, Montgomery County Health Connection serves Montgomery, and Seedco covers the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland, according to the exchange’s connector entity directory.

Have a complaint about your health insurance? Maryland Insurance Administration staff can help with a denied claim or a billing dispute; the Maryland Insurance Administration consumer page explains how to file a complaint. The exchange’s consumer support center at 1-855-642-8572 handles eligibility and enrollment questions in more than 200 languages.

Maryland city guides

Shopping for health insurance, Maryland residents find that local networks, clinics and in-person help vary by region. Our city pages go deeper:

• Health insurance in Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland networks, HCAM navigators, and Baltimore’s community health centers.
• Health insurance in Frederick, MD: Frederick Health, Fort Detrick families and TRICARE, commuters, and AHEC West help.

How Honesty helps Marylanders choose

Honesty.AI is the world’s first patented, licensed AI insurance agent. It works for you, not the carriers. It compares ACA plans alongside alternative and ancillary coverage, applies both your federal tax credit and Maryland Premium Assistance, and checks your doctors and prescriptions against each network.

Honesty® Insurance Services, LLC (NPN 21094885) is licensed in Maryland and 48 other states plus DC. There is no local office to visit; you reach Honesty 24/7 by chat, voice or text.

Frequently asked questions

Keep learning: compare costs in our affordable health insurance Maryland hub, read the city guides for Baltimore and Frederick, see how 2027 subsidies are calculated, or review the Open Enrollment 2027 timeline.