Maryland health insurance questions, answered.

Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Pick a plan by December 31 for coverage starting January 1. Plans picked in January generally start February 1.

Partly. Maryland Premium Assistance replaces all of the lost enhanced help for incomes under 200% of poverty and half of it from 250% to 400%, with a taper in between. People above 400% of poverty get no state or federal help.

Approved unsubsidized individual rates rose an average of 13.4% for 2026. For 2027, the state approved an average increase of 14.6%. What you actually pay depends on your income, age, area and any subsidies.

Possibly. Federal tax credits and Maryland Premium Assistance are based on your household income for the year, and both stop at 400% of the federal poverty level. If your income is under that line, you may pay much less than the full price.

Above 400% of the federal poverty level, you get no federal tax credit and no Maryland Premium Assistance, so you pay the full premium. Planning which accounts you draw from can sometimes keep your counted income under the line.

Yes, if income is low enough. Maryland expanded Medicaid, so adults under 65 can qualify with income up to 138% of the poverty level, even without children.

Maryland caps short-term plans at three months, and they cannot be renewed. That limit applies even though federal enforcement of the 2024 federal rule was relaxed in 2025.

At least one insurer was marketing short-term plans in Maryland in 2026. They do not have to cover pre-existing conditions and do not qualify for tax credits, so compare them with a Marketplace plan first.

If you just lost coverage, you likely qualify for a special enrollment period for a Marketplace plan. If your income is low, Maryland Medicaid can be an option at any time of year.

Five carriers: CareFirst BlueChoice, CareFirst's PPO companies (GHMSI and CFMI), Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealthcare's Optimum Choice, and Wellpoint Maryland. The same five carriers filed for 2027.

Yes. Aetna left Maryland's individual market after 2025, so its members had to choose a new carrier for 2026.

For 2026, the lowest-cost silver plan for a 40-year-old in the Baltimore area ranged from $342 a month (Optimum Choice) to $585 a month (CareFirst PPO) before subsidies, according to the Maryland Insurance Administration. Most people who enroll through the exchange pay less after subsidies.

Yes. Four of the five individual carriers sell HMO plans. CareFirst's GHMSI and CFMI companies sell PPO plans, which cover some out-of-network care but cost more.