Maryland
Cheapest ACA plans in Baltimore, Maryland for 2026
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Baltimore is in Baltimore City, Maryland. 5 carriers sell 2026 ACA plans on Maryland Health Connection for residents of Baltimore City, and the cheapest Bronze plan a 40-year-old can enroll in starts at $283/month before any subsidy. Carriers are licensed and rated at the county level, so the plans below cover everyone in Baltimore City, including Baltimore.
Cheapest plans by metal tier
Lowest 2026 monthly premium for a single 40-year-old in Baltimore (Baltimore City), on-exchange, before any subsidy. Per-age figures derived from the CMS QHP Landscape file using the HHS standardized age-rating curve (45 CFR 147.102).
| Tier | Cheapest age 40 monthly | Plans in Baltimore City |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $189 | 3 |
| Bronze | $283 | 1 |
| Expanded Bronze | $307 | 12 |
| Silver | $403 | 14 |
| Gold | $404 | 12 |
| Platinum | $520 | 1 |
The actual cheapest Bronze plan in Baltimore
Optimum Choice, Inc. UHC Bronze Essential ($0 Virtual Urgent Care)
$283/moFor a family of four (two 40-year-olds and two kids under 14): Optimum Choice, Inc. UHC Bronze Essential ($0 Virtual Urgent Care) at $905/month before subsidies.
Carriers selling 2026 plans in Baltimore
5 carriers sell 2026 plans on Maryland Health Connection for Baltimore City residents. 65 plans total in Baltimore City.
| Carrier | On-exchange plans |
|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States | 11 |
| Wellpoint Maryland, Inc. | 10 |
| Optimum Choice, Inc. | 9 |
| CareFirst BlueChoice, Inc. | 9 |
| CFMI, Inc. | 4 |
What you'll actually pay in Baltimore
Estimated monthly net premium for the cheapest Bronze plan above ($283/mo before subsidy) on Maryland Health Connection, after federal APTC and Maryland Premium Assistance. APTC is computed against the Baltimore Citybenchmark Silver per 26 USC §36B. Approximate; exact net varies by plan's EHB% and child-rate structure.
Single 40-year-old
| Annual income | FPL % | Federal APTC | State subsidy | Cheapest Bronze net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 160% | $318/mo | $88.327/mo | $0/mo |
| $40,000 | 256% | $128/mo | $72.83/mo | $82/mo |
| $60,000 | 383% | $0/mo | $5.107/mo | $278/mo |
| $100,000 | 639% | — | — | $283/mo |
Family of 4 (two 40-year-olds, two children)
| Annual income | FPL % | Federal APTC | State subsidy | Cheapest Bronze net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 124% | — | $1,325.059/mo | Medicaid likely |
| $80,000 | 249% | $766/mo | $147.751/mo | $0/mo |
| $130,000 | 404% | — | — | $905/mo |
| $200,000 | 622% | — | — | $905/mo |
FPL = Federal Poverty Level. APTC = Advance Premium Tax Credit (the federal subsidy). Off-exchange and Catastrophic plans are not APTC-eligible. Enter your real income on the home page to see plan-specific net premium with the per-plan EHB-percent cap applied.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ACA plan in Baltimore, Maryland for 2026?
The cheapest Bronze plan a 40-year-old can enroll in is Optimum Choice, Inc. UHC Bronze Essential ($0 Virtual Urgent Care) at $283 per month before subsidies. Plans sell through Maryland Health Connection. Baltimore is in Baltimore City, Maryland; carriers are licensed and rated at the county level. Data refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Who qualifies for Maryland's Young Adult Subsidy?
You qualify if you are age 18 through 37, live in Maryland, have household income between roughly 138% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, and buy a plan on Maryland Health Connection. The state lowers the share of your income you owe toward your benchmark plan, stacking on top of federal APTC. Young adults save about $40 per month on average. The program is permanent as of 2025.
What is Maryland's State Reinsurance Program and does it affect my premium?
Yes, indirectly. Maryland's reinsurance program pays carriers 80% of an individual enrollee's claims between $24,000 and $250,000 in 2026. Because carriers expect these payments, they set individual-market premiums roughly 34% lower than they otherwise would. You do not apply for it; it is already reflected in every quoted premium on Maryland Health Connection.
What is Maryland's Easy Enrollment Program?
When you file your Maryland state taxes, you can check a box on Form 502 authorizing the Comptroller to share your household size and income with Maryland Health Connection. MHC then mails you a letter telling you what you qualify for (Medicaid, MCHP, or a subsidized Marketplace plan), and you have 35 days to enroll. It is free and works outside open enrollment, but it only applies to returns filed on time (by April 15).
More Maryland pricing
Sources
- Maryland Health Connection for SBE enrollment, OEP dates, and the Easy Enrollment program.
- Maryland Health Benefit Exchange: Final 2026 State Subsidy and Reinsurance Parameters for PY2026 YAS schedule, expanded subsidy formula, and reinsurance parameters.
- Md. Insurance Article § 31-122 for the Young Adult Subsidy statutory basis.
- CMS 1332 Maryland Waiver Amendment (Jan 2025) for the reinsurance program extension through PY2028.
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z. Full pricing pipeline + regulatory references at methodology; ACA terminology in the glossary.