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Maryland Insurers Want 13.7% Premium Hike. 282,000 ACA Enrollees Affected.

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Maryland Insurers Filed a 13.7% Rate Hike. The State Has Months to Approve or Reject It.

Maryland health insurers have asked state regulators to raise premiums an average of 13.7% for individual plans sold on the state’s ACA marketplace in 2027. The Maryland Insurance Administration announced the proposals on June 26, 2026, affecting roughly 282,000 Marylanders who buy coverage through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.

This is the second consecutive year of steep proposed increases. Last year, carriers asked for 17%. The administration agreed to 13.4% for 2026 plans, which was still a sharp cost jump for most enrollees.

“The significant rate increases filed with the Maryland Insurance Administration for the second year in a row reflect the loss of enhanced federal tax credits, which were not extended by Congress and the Trump Administration last year.”

Maryland Insurance Commissioner Marie Grant, June 26, 2026

What the Enhanced Tax Credits Expiration Actually Costs

The enhanced federal tax credits that made ACA plans more affordable expired at the end of 2025. Congress did not extend them. For Maryland enrollees, that means carriers are pricing plans without the subsidy cushion that held down premiums for several years.

The cost varies by carrier, plan, age, and income. A 40-year-old in the Baltimore metro area on a CareFirst gold plan could see their monthly premium rise $95, from $649 to approximately $744. A comparable enrollee on a Kaiser bronze plan faces a smaller but still notable $31 monthly increase. A family of four could see their household monthly costs rise between $100 and $300, depending on plan and carrier.

Small business owners face pressure too. Carriers are proposing an average 13.1% increase for small group market plans.

Regulators Have Power Here. They’ve Used It Before.

The Maryland Insurance Administration is not required to approve the requests as filed. In 2025, regulators rejected the carriers’ 17% proposal and approved 13.4% instead. Commissioner Grant has said her team of actuaries will examine the assumptions behind the 2027 requests “over the coming months” before issuing a final decision later in 2026.

Maryland law allows the public to submit comments on proposed rate increases during the review period, and those comments become part of the official record regulators must consider.

What You Can Do Now

  1. File a public comment with the Maryland Insurance Administration. Visit insurance.maryland.gov and navigate to “Rate Review” to submit comments on the 2027 proposed increases. Describe your actual monthly costs, any coverage you’ve had to drop, or how a further increase would affect your household. The review is ongoing through late 2026.

  2. Contact your Maryland state legislators directly. Call the Maryland General Assembly switchboard at (410) 946-5400 and ask your delegate and senator to hold hearings on ACA affordability and to push for state-level subsidy legislation to replace the expired federal tax credits.

  3. Contact your U.S. senators and ask them to restore enhanced ACA tax credits. Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Senator Chris Van Hollen represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. Call the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Tell them the expiration of federal tax credits has triggered back-to-back double-digit premium increases for 282,000 Marylanders.

  4. Check your eligibility for current subsidies before open enrollment. The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange at marylandhealthconnection.gov shows current plan costs and income-based subsidy eligibility. If your income changed in 2026, you may qualify for more assistance than you’re currently receiving.

Sources

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