Medicare in Maryland: 2026 Plans, Costs, and Enrollment Guide

Maryland Medicare Snapshot

Maryland offers 63 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers for 2026 (CMS CY2026 Landscape) and uses the standard federal Medigap plan letters with attained-age pricing. The Maryland Medigap market is shaped by the Maryland Medigap Birthday Rule (effective July 1, 2023), which gives every Medicare Supplement policyholder a once-yearly birthday + 30-day open enrollment period to switch to an equal-or-lesser-benefit plan from any licensed carrier without medical underwriting.

The average consolidated MA premium is $25.68/month. The standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90/month in 2026. Kaiser Permanente leads the Maryland MA market (11 plans), reflecting its integrated delivery network in the Washington–Baltimore corridor, followed by Humana (10) and UnitedHealthcare (9).

Plan Types Available in Maryland

Medicare Advantage (Part C)

In Maryland, 63 MA plans are available for 2026 from 12 carriers (CMS CY2026 Landscape). The largest plan-type categories are HMO (15), PPO (13), HMO D-SNP (10) (dual-eligible special needs), HMO-POS (8), and HMO I-SNP (5) (institutional special needs); a small number of additional plans fall outside these top categories.

County-level plan counts range from 43 MA plans (highest county-equivalent in the CMS Landscape extract used by The Pocket Protector, in the Baltimore area) down to 12 plans in St. Mary's County. CMS reports Baltimore City and Baltimore County as separate county-equivalents; check our county-level lookup for the breakdown specific to your location. Top carriers by plan count: Kaiser Permanente (11 plans), Humana (10 plans), and UnitedHealthcare (9 plans).

Medigap (Medicare Supplement)

Maryland uses the standard federal Medigap plan letters (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, N, plus HDG and HDF). 29 carriers offer Plan G in Maryland (TPP rate database, CY2026, non-tobacco, ages 65–85). Plans C, F, and High-Deductible Plan F (HDF) are closed to anyone who first became Medicare-eligible on or after January 1, 2020 (under MACRA 2015). Beneficiaries who were Medicare-eligible before that date may still buy Plans C, F, or HDF from carriers that continue to offer them. High-Deductible Plan G (HDG) is the post-2020 high-deductible Medigap option and is offered by multiple carriers in Maryland.

Maryland Medigap rates use attained-age pricing — premiums are based on your current age and increase as you age. This is the same rating method used in most U.S. states. See our MA vs Medigap comparison →

Standalone Part D (Prescription Drug Plans)

Maryland is part of CMS PDP Region 5 (combined with Delaware and the District of Columbia). For 2026, there are 10 standalone PDP plans from 5 carriers in the region. Average total premium is $45.31/month (CMS CY2026 Landscape).

Costs in Maryland

Medicare Advantage Premiums

The average consolidated MA premium in Maryland is $25.68/month (CMS 2026 Medicare MA & Part D Landscape State-by-State Fact Sheet). The standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90/month in 2026.

The top three carriers by plan count are Kaiser Permanente (11 plans), Humana (10 plans), and UnitedHealthcare (9 plans) (CMS CY2026 Landscape). Average star rating is 3.87.

Medigap Premiums — Plan G and HDG

Maryland Medigap rates use attained-age pricing (premiums based on current age) and reflect the full set of federal standardized plan letters. Across the 29 Maryland Plan G carriers (non-tobacco, ages 65–85), Plan G monthly premiums in 2026 range from approximately $162 to $818/month (TPP rate database, CY2026).

For High-Deductible Plan G (HDG), Maryland carriers' premiums range from approximately $47 to $736/month (TPP rate database, CY2026, non-tobacco, ages 65–85). HDG works well for beneficiaries who want catastrophic protection at a lower monthly cost and can absorb the $2,950 deductible (2026).

Part D Costs and the LIS Benchmark

For 2026, Part D premiums in PDP Region 5 (DE, DC, MD) average $45.31/month across 10 standalone PDP plans (CMS CY2026 Landscape). The CMS Low Income Subsidy (LIS / Extra Help) benchmark premium for Region 5 is $31.21/month (CMS CY2026 Regional Rates and Benchmarks).

Maryland-Specific Medicare Rules

Maryland Medigap Birthday Rule

Effective July 1, 2023, Maryland law gives every Medicare Supplement policyholder an additional, once-yearly open enrollment period. The following details are sourced directly from the Maryland Insurance Administration's Medicare Birthday Rule page:

• Window:Per MIA, the open enrollment period "includes the policyholder's birthday and the 30-day period following the policyholder's birthday." A carrier may extend the window at its discretion, but the legal minimum is birthday + 30 days.
• No medical underwriting.Per MIA, beneficiaries may change "to a Medicare Supplement policy of equal or lesser benefits" without underwriting; you may keep your current carrier or switch carriers.
• Equal-or-lesser definition: Per MIA, a policy is considered equal or lesser unless (a) it contains one or more significant benefits not included in the policy being replaced, or (b) it contains the same significant benefits as the policy being replaced but reduces enrollee cost-sharing responsibilities (excluding policy premium).
• Preferred-rate protection.Per MIA, "Medicare Supplement policyholders who have been underwritten and received less than the preferred rate are entitled to the preferred rate during the guaranteed issue period."
• Application timing.Per MIA, "the application for a new policy must be submitted during this Open Enrollment Period, [though] there is no legal requirement that the submitted application must be fully processed within this timeframe."

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs)

Maryland offers Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) through the Maryland Department of Health (Medicaid):

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Covers Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): Covers Part B premiums only.
• QI (Qualifying Individual): Also covers Part B premiums; subject to annual appropriations.

Apply through the Maryland Department of Health or contact SHIP (1-800-243-3425) for free enrollment assistance. MSP enrollment also automatically qualifies you for Extra Help / LIS on Part D. Learn more about MSPs →

Maryland SHIP and the Maryland Insurance Administration

Maryland has two state agencies that help Medicare beneficiaries:

• Maryland SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — the federally designated SHIP, operated by the Maryland Department of Aging. Phone: 1-800-243-3425. Website: aging.maryland.gov/ship. This is the standard channel for free, unbiased Medicare counseling, MSP enrollment help, and general plan-comparison guidance.
• Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA)— Maryland's state insurance regulator. Phone: 1-800-492-6116 (toll-free) or 410-468-2000. Website: insurance.maryland.gov. Use MIA for insurance-regulatory questions, complaints, carrier disputes, and Birthday Rule implementation issues.

Enrolling in Medicare in Maryland

Standard Enrollment Periods

• Initial Enrollment Period (IEP): 7-month window centered on your 65th birthday month. Enroll at ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213.
• Annual Election Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7 each year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP): January 1 – March 31.
• Maryland Medigap Birthday Rule: Once-yearly birthday + 30-day window to switch Medigap plans (equal or lesser benefits) without underwriting.
• Federal 6-month Medigap OEP: Starts when you are 65+ and enrolled in Part B; first-time Medigap guaranteed-issue.
• Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs): Learn more →

Maryland SHIP Counseling

Contact Maryland SHIP at 1-800-243-3425 for free one-on-one Medicare guidance statewide.

Frequently Asked Questions