Your Insurance Detective › Maryland › Open enrollment 2027
When Is Maryland Health Connection Open Enrollment for 2027? Dates, the December 31 Deadline, and the Approved Rates
Written and reviewed by Dick Tracy, licensed health insurance broker (NPN 20414610) · Published October 2, 2026
Quick answer Maryland Health Connection open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 31, 2026 (expected) and coverage starts January 1, 2027. Enroll January 1 to 15 and it starts February 1, with January uncovered. The state approved an average 14.6% increase for unsubsidized individual plans, and the lowest-cost off-exchange silver plan moves anywhere from 2.6% to 19.2% depending on the carrier. Maryland's own premium assistance continues at 2026 levels for households under 400% of the poverty level, and above that line the cliff is still a cliff. New Medicaid rules start January 1, 2027. Medicaid and the Maryland Children's Health Program have no window at all. Neither do the group plans I use for healthy self-employed Marylanders. I educate, you decide.
I'm Dick Tracy, a health insurance broker. I'm licensed in Maryland (NPN 20414610), one of 25 states, and I work with 80+ carriers. My office is in Buffalo, New York, and I work with Marylanders by phone or Zoom. I came from the healthcare side of this business, billing codes and prior authorizations and the real price behind the "allowable" rate, so there's no gag clause on me. You get the tips, the tricks, and the traps. The trap on this page: Maryland runs its own marketplace with its own dates, and a January signup does not start in January.
and runs through Jan. 15, 2027
for a Jan. 1, 2027 start (expected)
increase for 2027, before subsidies
Sources: Maryland Health Connection (dates); exchange board minutes, July 20, 2026 (window kept for 2027); Maryland Insurance Administration, September 25, 2026 (rates). Last verified October 2, 2026.
What are the Maryland Health Connection open enrollment dates for 2027?
The window is not a guess. Maryland's regulation sets it at November 1 through January 15, and on July 20, 2026 the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, the agency that runs Maryland Health Connection, told its board it is keeping it for 2027. The December 31 row is marked "expected" because it comes from the standing rule, not a 2027-specific notice, which had not been posted when I wrote this.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Open enrollment begins for 2027 plans. Anyone can sign up or change plans. |
| December 31, 2026 (expected) | Last day to enroll for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. Maryland Health Connection's standing rule: "Enroll Nov. 1-Dec. 31 for coverage beginning Jan. 1." |
| January 1, 2027 | New plan year begins. New deductible, new out-of-pocket maximum, new rates. The new Medicaid rules start the same day. |
| January 15, 2027 | Open enrollment ends. |
| February 1, 2027 (expected) | Coverage starts for anyone who enrolled January 1 to 15. |
Sources: Maryland Health Connection, "When can I enroll?"; COMAR 14.35.07.11; exchange board briefing, July 20, 2026 and minutes; Georgetown Health Care Litigation Tracker (appeal).
One caveat. A 2025 federal rule tried to make every state marketplace close by December 31. A federal district court threw that piece out in June 2026, the government appealed, and argument is set for October 30, 2026. If an appeals court reinstates the rule, the exchange board can vote to shorten the window. So do not plan around January. The regulation locks in a January 1 start for a plan picked by December 15, and the exchange's standing rule stretches that to December 31. Be done by December 15 and nothing a court does in November can touch you.
How much are Maryland health insurance rates going up in 2027?
On September 25, 2026 the Maryland Insurance Administration approved the 2027 rates. Unsubsidized individual plans go up an average of 14.6%. The state names three causes: the expired enhanced federal tax credits, eligibility changes in the federal law known as H.R. 1, and rising hospital and drug costs. One detail worth a second look: in June the carriers' filings averaged 13.7%. The approved average came in above that, and the state's release does not explain the gap, so I will not guess.
Averages hide the story. Here is the state's own example: the lowest-cost off-exchange silver plan for a 40-year-old in the Baltimore metro area, with no subsidy:
| Carrier (individual plans) | Network | 2026 monthly | 2027 monthly | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CareFirst BlueChoice | HMO | $371 | $431 | 16.1%, $60 more |
| CareFirst GHMSI/CFMI | PPO | $585 | $674 | 15.2%, $89 more |
| Kaiser | HMO | $344 | $371 | 7.8%, $27 more |
| Optimum Choice (UnitedHealthcare) | HMO | $342 | $350 | 2.6%, $9 more |
| Wellpoint Maryland | HMO | $437 | $521 | 19.2%, $84 more |
Sources: Maryland Insurance Administration, September 25, 2026 (approved rates); Maryland Insurance Administration, June 26, 2026 (the 13.7% filed average).
Read that table like a detective. One carrier's cheapest silver moved $9 a month. Another moved $89. If your renewal letter shows a number in the high teens and the math doesn't math, that letter is your cue to shop, not to sigh and pay it. And look at the network column before the price column: four of those five are HMOs. More in Why did my health insurance go up?
Small group plans, for employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees, go up an average of 10.2%, nearly 3 points under the 13.1% the carriers requested. On the same yardstick, approvals run from 4.9% at Kaiser ($409 to $429) to 14.7% at CareFirst BlueChoice ($464 to $532), with the four UnitedHealthcare companies between 7.8% and 8.9%. The owner's side of this is on my Maryland small business health insurance page.
What else changed for 2027 on Maryland Health Connection?
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Enhanced federal credits are still gone | The federal credit stops cold at 400% of the federal poverty level: $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four for 2027 coverage. One dollar over and it is zero. That is the subsidy cliff. |
| Maryland's premium assistance continues | On August 4, 2026 the exchange board voted unanimously to keep the 2026 design: full replacement of the lost enhanced credit under 200% of poverty, phasing down to 50% at 250%, 50% from 250% to 400%, nothing above 400%. In June 2026 about 146,700 enrollees were getting it, averaging about $93 a month. The law authorizes it only through plan year 2027. |
| Young adult subsidy continues | Ages 18 to 37 with income at or under 400% of poverty keep the extra state help, on the 2026 terms. |
| Many legally present immigrants lose financial help | Starting January 1, 2027, the exchange says many legally present Marylanders will no longer be eligible for financial help with a private plan. They can still enroll, at full cost. Green card holders, Cuban and Haitian noncitizens, and COFA migrants stay eligible. |
| Guess your income low, repay all of it | Under H.R. 1, if your advance credit turns out bigger than your final income supports, you repay the full excess at tax time, regardless of income. |
| New Medicaid rules | Starting January 1, 2027, some adults ages 19 to 64 must show 80 hours a month of work, school, job training, or volunteering (or earn at least $580 a month) and renew every six months. The state says up to 320,000 members are affected. Children, pregnant people, and people with disabilities are among the exempt. |
Sources: exchange board presentation, August 4, 2026 and minutes (state subsidy); state presentation, June 29, 2026 (repayment rule); HHS 2026 poverty guidelines; Maryland Health Connection changes page and Medicaid Check-In; Maryland Department of Health (Medicaid rules).
The cliff is the one to respect. Run the free 2026 subsidy cliff calculator and check the Maryland Health Connection income limits before you fall in love with a monthly number. The calculator uses the 2026 line, $62,600 for one person. For 2027 coverage the line is $63,840.
Which Maryland programs have no open enrollment window?
Two public programs, one tax-season side door, and one private door. The November to January window only applies to individual private plans.
| Type of coverage | When you can start it |
|---|---|
| A private plan through Maryland Health Connection | November 1 to January 15, or within 60 days of a qualifying life event |
| Medicaid | Any time. Adults qualify up to about $1,835 a month for one person or $3,795 for a household of four. |
| Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP) | Any time. Covers children up to age 19, at higher income limits than adult Medicaid. |
| Easy Enrollment | Tax season. A box on the Maryland state tax return opens a 35-day window, counted from the date on the letter the exchange mails you. |
| A pre-established ERISA group plan | Group plans are not tied to the individual open enrollment calendar |
Sources: Maryland Health Connection, Medicaid income limits effective February 1, 2026; Maryland Health Connection, Easy Enrollment Program.
What is the special enrollment period, and what counts?
Outside the window, a private plan takes a qualifying life event. Maryland Health Connection gives you 60 days after marriage or divorce, a birth or adoption, a move to Maryland, certain income changes, the end of COBRA, or the loss of other coverage such as a job-based plan. Two Maryland extras: pregnancy gets 90 days from the date it is confirmed, and a young adult aging off a parent's plan at 26 has until the end of that year (Maryland Health Connection, Special Enrollment). If your event is a layoff, use the first week, not the eighth.
Two traps. The list says "certain losses" of coverage, not every loss. Ask me before you drop a plan on purpose and count on a window. And a mid-year signup can cost you the state help: anyone who enrolled after April 1, 2026 gets no State Premium Assistance for the rest of 2026, though the board's 2027 design makes those enrollees eligible again at renewal (Maryland Health Connection; exchange board, August 4, 2026).
What should I actually do before November 1?
Here is the part the marketplace's own materials will never tell you, because it is not their job. The November to January calendar governs individual plans. It does not govern group coverage. And for a healthy Marylander who earns too much for any subsidy, the group door is usually the one worth pricing first.
The pre-established ERISA group plan is the door I lead with. ERISA is the 1974 federal law that governs employer benefit plans. Group plans already exist under it, and a self-employed person or 1099 contractor can be merged into one. Group rates. A true PPO network of the PHCS and MultiPlan type instead of an HMO, which matters if your doctors are in D.C., Virginia, or Delaware. A policy you own and keep. No employees required, and one simple compliance step I walk you through. Here is the ERISA cheat code, explained.
What Maryland does not have is a wide-open market of major-medical plans priced on your health, and I will not pretend otherwise. When the group door does not fit, I customize the plan based on the situation: often a plan from the Maryland Health Connection carriers with a fixed indemnity plan on top as secondary coverage, never as your only coverage. What kind of tank should we build? The full order of doors is on my Maryland self-employed guide.
Healthy, self-employed, income over the subsidy line
Price the pre-established ERISA group plan first, in any month. Then compare it against a marketplace plan at sticker. The Maryland doors, in order.
Income under the subsidy lines
A subsidized plan or Medicaid may be your best deal, and I will tell you so. The trade-offs: mostly HMO networks and an income estimate you have to get right. Run the subsidy calculator, preset for Maryland, then bring me the number.
Small business owner with a few employees
You have no window to wait for. Three routes: traditional small group (10.2% average increase for 2027), the pre-established ERISA group merge, or no group plan at all. I customize the plan based on the situation. Details on my Maryland small business page.
A serious diagnosis in the last five years
Guaranteed-issue coverage, for now. Maryland Health Connection plans take everyone at the same price with no health questions. Take that protection, do not miss December 31, and we revisit the other doors later.
Common questions about Maryland Health Connection open enrollment 2027
When is Maryland Health Connection open enrollment for 2027?
Maryland Health Connection open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Maryland runs its own marketplace and sets the window by state regulation, and on July 20, 2026 the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange told its board it is keeping those dates for the 2027 plan year. That is the window for private health plans. Medicaid and the Maryland Children's Health Program enroll any time of year.
What is the Maryland Health Connection deadline for coverage starting January 1, 2027?
December 31, 2026 is the date to plan around. Maryland Health Connection's standing rule is to enroll November 1 through December 31 for coverage beginning January 1, and to enroll January 1 through 15 for coverage beginning February 1. As of October 2, 2026 no 2027-specific notice had been posted, so December 31 is the expected cutoff based on that standing rule. A January signup still leaves January uncovered.
How much are Maryland health insurance rates going up in 2027?
The Maryland Insurance Administration announced on September 25, 2026 that unsubsidized individual plans will rise an average of 14.6% in 2027, and small group plans an average of 10.2%, down from the 13.1% small group carriers requested. By carrier, the lowest-cost off-exchange individual silver plan for a 40-year-old in the Baltimore metro area rises between 2.6% and 19.2%, or $9 to $89 a month. About 70% of Maryland Health Connection enrollees receive a premium subsidy, so many will not pay the full increase.
Does Maryland have a state health insurance subsidy for 2027?
Yes. On August 4, 2026 the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange board voted to continue the state premium assistance program for 2027 with the 2026 design. It fully replaces the expired enhanced federal credit for households under 200% of the federal poverty level and replaces 50% from 250% to 400%. Nothing is available above 400%, which for 2027 coverage is $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four. The young adult subsidy for ages 18 to 37 also continues. The program is authorized only through plan year 2027.
Can I enroll in Maryland Medicaid or MCHP outside open enrollment?
Yes. Maryland Health Connection says enrollment in Medicaid and the Maryland Children's Health Program is available any time of year. Adults may qualify with monthly income up to about $1,835 for one person or $3,795 for a household of four, under limits effective February 1, 2026. Starting January 1, 2027, federal law adds new rules for some adults ages 19 to 64: 80 hours a month of work or other approved activities, and renewal every six months. The state says up to 320,000 Medicaid members are affected.
What is the special enrollment period on Maryland Health Connection?
A special enrollment period lets you enroll in or change a private plan outside the November 1 to January 15 window after a qualifying life event. Maryland Health Connection gives you 60 days for events such as marriage or divorce, a birth or adoption, moving to Maryland, or losing other coverage such as a job-based plan. Pregnancy gets 90 days from the date it is confirmed. Maryland's tax-time Easy Enrollment program gives you 35 days from the date on your letter after you check a box on your state tax return.
Do I have to wait for open enrollment to get health insurance in Maryland?
Only for an individual private plan. Medicaid and the Maryland Children's Health Program enroll year-round if you qualify. Group coverage is not tied to the individual calendar, and that includes the pre-established ERISA group plans I use for healthy self-employed Marylanders: group rates, a true PPO network, and a policy you own, started in any month. Losing coverage mid-year also opens a 60-day special enrollment period.
Thirty minutes on the phone or Zoom, no fee, no hard sell. Bring your renewal letter, a rough income number, your doctors, and how you use care. I put every Maryland door that fits you side by side, including the ones with no enrollment window, before you lock anything in for 2027. I educate, you decide.
Grab a time right here
Pick a slot below and it lands on both our calendars. Phone or Zoom, plan documents on the screen, real numbers side by side. I educate, you decide.
Who you'll be talking to: me, Richard "Dick" Tracy. Real name, real job.
Health insurance broker · NPN 20414610 · Licensed in 25 states · 80+ carriers · Buffalo, NY
No call center, and no lead form that sells your name to ten agencies. The person who answers 716-503-1113 is the same person in this photo. I educate, you decide.
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