Quick Start
If you don’t know where to start, go to MarylandHealthConnection.gov and click “Find Help.” A free expert will walk you through everything.
Navigate To Your Situation
Click on one of the possible situations organized by topic to jump to specific insurance information for that situation.
Life Events
Graduating college: Student plans end at graduation. You have 60 days from loss of coverage to enroll via Maryland Health Connection.
Lost your job: You have 60 days from your last day of coverage to enroll. You may qualify for Medicaid (retroactive up to 3 months). Employers with 20+ employees must offer COBRA.
Moving to Maryland: New residents have 60 days from move date to enroll.
Getting married or divorced: You have 60 days to add a spouse or enroll in a new plan. For divorce, the window starts when you lose coverage, not necessarily the finalization date.
Having a baby: You have 60 days from birth to enroll the baby. Coverage is retroactive to birth date.
Lost a parent: Coverage typically ends the month of death. You have 60 days to enroll in a new plan. COBRA may let you stay on the employer plan for up to 36 months, but you pay the full premium.
Turning 26
You can stay on a parent’s plan until the day you turn 26. You have a 120-day window (60 days before and 60 days after your birthday) to enroll in your own coverage. Confirm the exact end-date with the parent’s HR department to know when your special enrollment period begins.
Income-Based Coverage
Low or no income: Apply for Medicaid immediately. It’s free, comprehensive, and may be retroactive for bills from the last 3 months.
Moderate income: You likely qualify for Premium Tax Credits. Use the “Get an Estimate” tool before assuming you can’t afford coverage.
Higher income: You may not qualify for subsidies. You can buy marketplace plans at full price or directly from insurers like CareFirst or Kaiser Permanente.
Between jobs: Apply for Medicaid immediately. It is retroactive, so it may cover recent bills. Transition off when new job benefits begin.
Employment Status
Job DOES offers insurance: Compare plans using premium, deductible, copays, and network. If the employer plan is “affordable” (less than 9.02% of your income), you are not eligible for marketplace subsidies.
Job does NOT offer insurance: You qualify for marketplace subsidies. Start at Maryland Health Connection.
Freelancer or gig worker: You qualify for subsidies based on estimated annual income. Estimate carefully; you can update it later if it changes.
Student Status
Student low/no income: You likely qualify for Medicaid (approx. $20,000/year limit for a single person).
Student part-time job: Compare your school’s student health plan with subsidized marketplace plans.
Gap year: If low/no income, apply for Medicaid. If you have income, use marketplace subsidies. Most U.S. insurance does not cover care abroad. You cannot stay on a parent’s plan after 26. Graduating or losing student coverage qualifies you for a 60-day special enrollment window.
International student: Get coverage through your university or the marketplace. Verify providers are in-network.
Special Circumstances
Disabled young adult: You may qualify to stay on a parent’s employer plan beyond 26 if the disability began before 26. Contact the parent’s HR department.
COBRA: Lets you stay on a former employer’s plan for 18-36 months. You pay the full premium plus a 2% fee. It’s expensive but useful if you are in the middle of ongoing treatment.
Step-by-Step Action Plan
Step 1: Gather Your Information
Write down your annual income, doctors and their locations, pharmacy, and medications.
Step 2: Go to MarylandHealthConnection.gov
This is the only place to get financial help. Click “Get an Estimate” to see plans and costs after subsidies.
Step 3: Click “Find Help” For A Free Expert
Connect with a broker or navigator for free. Brokers compare plans across companies; navigators walk you through the application. Their services cost you nothing.
Step 4: Understand your plan options
Marketplace Plans: Bronze (lowest monthly cost, pay most care), Silver (moderate cost, best for most people), Gold (higher cost, lower costs when you need care). If you qualify for subsidies and choose a Silver plan, you may also get Cost-Sharing Reductions (lower deductibles and copays).
Employer Insurance: Compare the premium, deductible, copays, network, and out-of-pocket maximum.
Medicaid: Free coverage. Just show your card.
Step 5: Check Your Doctors and Medications
Before enrolling, go to the insurer’s website and check the provider directory to ensure your doctors are in-network. Search the drug list (formulary) to see your medication costs.
Step 6: Enroll
Complete enrollment, save your confirmation number. Your card will arrive in 7–10 days or appear in the app.
Step 7: Use Your Insurance
Keep your card handy. Confirm your doctor is still in-network before appointments. If a bill doesn’t match what you expected, call the number on the back of your card.
When Something Goes Wrong
The Maryland Insurance Administration helps when insurance companies deny claims or send wrong bills — for free.
insurance.maryland.gov
1-800-492-6116
Federally Qualified Health Centers: Clinics that charge based on what you can pay. Search FQHC near me.
Quick Reference
- Premium: Monthly cost to have insurance.
- Deductible: What you pay before insurance starts paying.
- Copay: Flat fee for a visit or prescription.
- Out-of-pocket max: The most you will pay in a year.
- In-network: Doctors under contract with your insurance (costs less).
- COBRA: Law letting you keep employer coverage after leaving a job (you pay full premium).
- Formulary: List of drugs your insurance covers.
Important Numbers
- Maryland Health Connection: 1-855-642-8572
- Maryland Insurance Administration: 1-800-492-6116