How to Get Health Insurance Quotes in Maryland
Last updated · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307
Short answer
In Maryland, self-employed people and families usually compare two kinds of quotes: private, medically underwritten plans priced on age, ZIP code and health, and Maryland Health Connection Marketplace plans, where household income sets any subsidy.
If approved, a private plan can start the first of any month; Maryland Health Connection plans follow open enrollment unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.
Frank Caballero, a licensed broker (NPN 21032307), quotes both for Maryland households from Baltimore to Columbia by phone or video, at no fee.
Maryland at a glance
| Where ACA plans are sold | Maryland Health Connection (state exchange) |
|---|---|
| Medicaid expansion | Expanded |
| Open enrollment for 2027 coverage | Set by Maryland Health Connection; check its site for 2027 deadlines |
| Private plan enrollment | Any month, if approved |
| 2027 subsidy line (400% of the poverty level) | $63,840 for one person; $132,000 for a family of four |
| 2027 Marketplace out-of-pocket maximum | $12,000 for one person; $24,000 for a family |
| 2027 average Marketplace rate change | 14.6% (final) |
| Largest metro areas | Baltimore, DC suburbs (Silver Spring–Rockville–Bethesda), Frederick, Annapolis and Columbia |
What a quote takes
- Book a 15-minute call by phone or video, in English or Spanish. There is no fee.
- Have ready: your Maryland ZIP code, everyone's ages, your doctors (in Baltimore, DC suburbs (Silver Spring–Rockville–Bethesda) or elsewhere), prescriptions, a rough income estimate for the Maryland Health Connection side and your health history for the private side.
- Frank prices private plans from your health answers and Maryland Health Connection Marketplace plans from your income, and checks each network for your doctors.
- Next, a private application goes to the insurer for an underwriting decision; if approved, coverage can start the first of the next month. Maryland Health Connection enrollment happens in open enrollment or a special enrollment period, with Frank's help.
Private plan vs. the Marketplace in Maryland
| Feature | Private, medically underwritten plan | Maryland Health Connection Marketplace plan |
|---|---|---|
| Priced on | Age, ZIP code and your health answers | Age and ZIP code; household income sets any subsidy |
| Coverage can start | The first of any month, if approved | After open enrollment, or after a qualifying event in a special enrollment period |
| Health questions | Yes, and approval depends on the answers | No |
| Networks | Many private plans use national PPO networks | Many Maryland Marketplace plans are HMO or EPO networks inside the state |
| Benefits and pre-existing condition rules | Vary by plan; read the plan documents before you apply | Every plan covers essential health benefits and pre-existing conditions |
Maryland limits short-term plans to a few months with no renewal, and in practice they are not a real option here. The private PPO plans we quote are medically underwritten and year-round.
Maryland rules that shape a quote
Maryland Health Connection, the state's own exchange, sets its own open enrollment dates; check its site for 2027 deadlines. Maryland offers more state help than most states: its State Reinsurance Program, approved through 2028, helps hold down premiums, and the Maryland Premium Assistance Program adds state help on top of federal tax credits for eligible enrollees based on household income. Maryland's continuation law reaches the small employers that federal COBRA skips, so leaving a small shop usually means you can keep the group plan for up to 18 months if you elect within 45 days. Short-term plans are tightly limited to less than three months with no renewals, which makes them a narrow bridge rather than a long-term option. Because the state subsidy runs through Maryland Health Connection, buying through the exchange matters if you want the full amount of help.
Who usually starts with which
Price a private plan first
You are in good health, self-employed or a business owner, and your household income is above the Maryland subsidy line of $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four. Above that line you pay the full Maryland Health Connection premium, so a plan priced on health may cost you less.
Start with Maryland Health Connection
You have health conditions that could affect a private approval, or your household income may qualify for a subsidy. Maryland Health Connection Marketplace plans cannot turn you down or charge more because of your health.
Common self-employed work in Maryland: Federal and defense contractors between contracts, IT consultants, biotech and life-science contractors along I-270, real estate agents, construction trades, and watermen and seasonal businesses on the Eastern Shore.
Small firms make up 99.6 percent of Maryland businesses: the SBA's 2025 profile counts 696,710 of them, employing 47.9 percent of the state's workers. Of those, 586,327 have no employees. Maryland's largest group of one-person businesses is in transportation and warehousing, with 88,039, edging out professional, scientific and technical services at 87,981. Health care and social assistance comes next with 56,803, followed by other services, real estate and construction. That mix of drivers, consultants and independent health workers makes self-bought coverage a big issue here.
Maryland Health Connection reported 255,612 plan selections to CMS for 2026, up about 3 percent from 247,243 in 2025, making Maryland one of only 10 states, counting the District of Columbia, where sign-ups grew after the enhanced credits ended. The share getting an advance premium tax credit fell from about 76 percent to about 67 percent, so close to one in three Maryland buyers, about 33 percent, now pays full price. Census data for 2024 show about 51.7 percent of Maryland households with incomes of $100,000 or more, a group that mostly sits above the credit line.
Business owners with employees
Maryland's fully insured small-group market covers employers with 50 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees. For 2027, insurers requested an overall average increase of 13.1 percent, ranging by insurer from 4.1 to 20.7 percent, before the Insurance Administration's review. Eight filing companies from three insurer groups sell small-group plans, and one HMO product holds about 145,000 of the market's members. Maryland also lets small-group insurers change rates quarterly, and in 2026 the Administration approved mid-year increases after a jump in hospital stays and surgeries.
Leaving a job or group plan
Marylanders switch through Maryland Health Connection, the state exchange, which generally allows 60 days after losing other coverage to enroll. If both Maryland continuation and federal COBRA could apply, the Maryland Insurance Administration's position is that you can claim both and any differences are resolved in your favor. For help with a continuation or enrollment problem, call the Insurance Administration at 1-800-492-6116.
If you are self-employed in Maryland, premiums for you and your family are often deductible on your federal return, whichever kind of plan you choose. General information, not tax advice — confirm with your CPA based on your specific entity structure.
2027 rates in Maryland
Maryland Health Connection premiums in Maryland are set to rise 14.6% on average for 2027 in finalized filings, with small-group plans up about 10.2%; the Maryland 2027 premium increase page has the details.
About your broker
Frank Caballero is a licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307, licensed in 31 states including Maryland. He is based in Tampa and works with Maryland clients by phone or video, in English and Spanish. There is no fee to the client. FC Insurance Solutions is BBB Accredited with an A rating and rated 4.9 on Google from 78 reviews. More about Frank · License list
Maryland health insurance quote questions
Can I get a private health insurance quote in Maryland outside open enrollment?
Yes. Private, medically underwritten plans can be quoted in Maryland any time of year and, if approved, start the first of any month. Maryland Health Connection Marketplace plans need open enrollment or a special enrollment period, such as after losing other coverage.
How long does a Maryland health insurance quote take?
About 15 minutes by phone or video. Maryland Health Connection prices come from your ZIP code, ages and income estimate; private plans also need your health history, and the insurer decides after you apply.
Do I need to go through Maryland Health Connection to get a quote?
No. Maryland runs its own exchange, Maryland Health Connection. Maryland Health Connection sets its own open enrollment dates; check its site for 2027 deadlines. A licensed broker can quote Maryland Health Connection plans and private plans in the same call, and private plans are not sold through Maryland Health Connection at all.
Is there a fee to use a health insurance broker in Maryland?
No. Frank charges Maryland clients nothing; the insurance company pays the broker, and you don't pay extra for the help.
What if I have a pre-existing condition in Maryland?
Maryland Health Connection Marketplace plans cannot decline you or charge more because of your health, so Maryland Health Connection is often the place to start. Private plans in Maryland ask health questions, and approval depends on your answers.
I am a federal contractor and my contract just ended. What are my options?
Losing employer coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period on Maryland Health Connection. If you are in good health and expect to be above the subsidy range, a private PPO that, if approved, starts the first of next month is the other path, and it carries over to the next contract without a lapse.
More for Maryland
Official sources
FC Insurance Solutions LLC is a private, licensed insurance brokerage. It is not HealthCare.gov, a state exchange or a government agency.