Maryland approved 2027 health insurance premium rates on Friday. The state insurance regulator says unsubsidized individual Affordable Care Act plan premiums will rise 14.6% on average. That is a statewide market average, not a prediction of what every Maryland household will pay: a plan's price, the member's age and any subsidy can change the bill.
Maryland's published example makes the variation concrete. For a 40-year-old in the Baltimore metro area looking at the lowest-cost off-exchange silver plans, the listed monthly unsubsidized change ranges from $9 for an Optimum Choice HMO (from $342 to $350, as rounded in the regulator table) to $89 for a CareFirst PPO (from $585 to $674). These are sample plan figures, not statewide averages or quotes for a specific reader. An off-exchange example also does not show financial assistance available through Maryland Health Connection.
The Maryland Insurance Administration says roughly 70% of Maryland Health Connection users and 55% of the overall individual market receive a premium subsidy. The state has its own assistance program for eligible residents with household incomes below 400% of the federal poverty level. Those eligible for assistance may see a different net premium change from the 14.6% unsubsidized figure. The regulator says individual market enrollment stands at about 274,000, down from 294,000 last year.
Small-group premiums for employers with no more than 50 full-time employees are approved to rise 10.2% on average. That is below carriers' 13.1% requested increase. The regulator reports rising hospital and prescription costs as main drivers and puts the separate individual dental-market average increase at 3.0%.
Consumers should read their renewal notice and compare actual 2027 plans and assistance eligibility when enrollment opens. A health premium is not the same as a medical bill: Financialist's medical-debt guide explains ways to check and contest charges after care, not how ACA subsidies are calculated.