How health insurance works in Maryland
Marylanders buying their own coverage have two markets: Maryland Health Connection (marylandhealthconnection.gov), where plans from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthcare are guaranteed-issue and priced on income, and the private shared-network market, where PPO plans on Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO are underwritten and priced on age and health.
Medicaid is expanded (Maryland Medicaid) in Maryland. Maryland has no state penalty for going without coverage, but the state tax return asks whether you had coverage so the state can help uninsured residents enroll.
What it costs
Full-price marketplace plans for a 40-year-old in Baltimore commonly run $550–$850 a month in 2026; with a subsidy, often under $300. Private PPOs for the same healthy person run roughly $320–$480. Maryland has a progressive state income tax plus a county income tax, so the self-employed health premium deduction helps at the federal, state and local level.
The Maryland picture
Maryland runs its own state-based marketplace, Maryland Health Connection, and limits short-term plans to three months with no renewals. Private options here are narrower than in most states, so the honest answer is usually a careful comparison, not a promise of savings.