Two markets for the self-employed
Subsidy-eligible after business expenses → Maryland Health Connection. Above the subsidy line and healthy → private PPO on Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO, priced on your health rather than your income. Serious condition → marketplace regardless.
The deduction
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. Self-employed people deduct 100% of premiums above the line on either kind of plan, and can stack HSA contributions on an HSA-eligible plan.
Who we see most in Maryland
Realtors, contractors, consultants, drivers, salon owners, and anyone running a business from Baltimore, Bethesda, Columbia and across the state. 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.