Short answer: private health insurance in Maryland comes in two forms. The marketplace plans are themselves sold by private companies: Maryland Health Connection sells 2026 plans from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente and other private insurers. They come with tax credits and no health questions. Medically underwritten plans are the other form: they ask about your health, can decline you and get no credit, but a healthy buyer can often pay less, and one can start in any month. (Reviewed by Daniel Griffin, licensed independent advisor, NPN #22052447.)
Who Sells Marketplace Plans in Maryland
Maryland Health Connection lists 2026 marketplace plans from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealthcare (Optimum Choice) and Wellpoint. Maryland Health Connection has run Maryland’s exchange since 2013, covering the 23 counties and Baltimore City. Not every insurer sells in every county.
What Maryland Plans Cost Before a Tax Credit
The average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in Maryland was $414 a month in 2026, before any tax credit (KFF).
Who Should Look Beyond the Maryland Marketplace
For 2027 coverage the tax credit stops at $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four. At Maryland’s 2026 benchmark, a single 40-year-old just over that line pays $4,968 a year, about 8% of income, before the 2027 increase. That is where a healthy household can save with a medically underwritten plan, which is priced on health, not income. It is not ACA coverage: it can decline you and usually excludes pre-existing conditions and maternity care. Leaving a job? See COBRA alternatives.
Networks: What to Check in Maryland
Maryland Health Connection shows each plan’s network type. Check whether a plan is an HMO, EPO or PPO, then check your doctors and hospital in that plan’s own network, not just the insurer’s name.
Healthy, in Maryland, and paying full price?
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2027 in Maryland
The Maryland Insurance Administration approved an average 2027 increase of 14.6%. No insurer has announced it is leaving Maryland’s marketplace for 2027. Open Enrollment on Maryland Health Connection opens November 1, 2026; check its deadline for coverage that starts January 1. Medically underwritten plans are not tied to that calendar. health insurance in Maryland.
Checking an Agent or a Plan in Maryland
The Maryland Insurance Administration licenses agents and insurers in Maryland: look up anyone selling you a plan, and get the insurer’s name and the list of what is not covered before you pay.
Common Questions
What is private health insurance in Maryland?
Two things. Private insurers sell Maryland marketplace plans on Maryland Health Connection, with tax credits and no health questions. Medically underwritten plans ask health questions, can decline you, get no tax credit and can start in any month.
Who should buy a medically underwritten plan in Maryland?
A healthy household that gets little or no tax credit: for 2027 coverage there is none above $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four. Anyone with a real health history, or planning a pregnancy, is usually better protected on the marketplace.
Are there PPO plans on the Maryland marketplace?
It depends on the insurer and the county. Maryland Health Connection shows each plan’s network type, so check it plan by plan.
Which insurers are leaving Maryland’s marketplace for 2027?
No insurer has announced it is leaving Maryland’s marketplace for 2027.
Sources
- KFF benchmark premiums, Maryland, 2026.
- Maryland Health Connection, 2026 insurers.
- Maryland 2027 rates and exits (Plans By State, from regulators and ACASignups.net).
- HealthCare.gov: tax credit income limits.
- Maryland Insurance Administration.
Full-price filed rates before tax credits, not quotes. Underwritten plans are not sold in every state and acceptance depends on health history.