Maryland Health Insurance

How healthy is living
in Maryland?

Maryland is ranked as the 19th healthiest state in the 2012 edition of America's Health Rankings® by the United Health Foundation. This is the state's highest ranking since the study was first published in 1990.

The good news:

• This year's findings indicate that overall health in Maryland is likely to improve in coming years.
• Cardiovascular deaths dropped from 334.4 to 278.5 per 100,000 people over the past 10 years.
• Poverty among the Maryland children dipped from 13.6 in 2011 to 11.3 in 2012.

The bad news:

• The violent crime rate is high at 548 cases per 100,000 people.
• More than 25 percent of adults have a sedentary lifestyle.

Maryland's best and worst category rankings:

• Children in Poverty – 2nd
• Primary Care Physicians – 2nd
• Poor Physical Health Days – 6th
• Air Pollution – 40th
• Infant Mortality – 41st
• Violent Crime – 43rd

more details

• See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Maryland.
• Trust for America's Health ia another source for key Maryland health quality findings. In addition, 2010's federal health reform, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), included the creation of a prevention fund to provide more than $16 billion over the next 10 years to invest in effective, proven prevention efforts, like childhood obesity prevention and tobacco cessation, and the site has a report on how it impacts Maryland here.

get local health results

State snapshot too large? Get county-by-county health rankings for Maryland, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin.

Does Maryland have a health insurance high risk pool?

Maryland Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-888-444-9016 (M-F 8am-5pm)

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Maryland started offering health care insurance coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Maryland's participation, click here.

Risk pools are state-sponsored programs to help people with a history of medical problems in their family to purchase coverage. These pools are for people who can afford to buy health insurance, but are not able to get underwritten in the private market because of a pre-existing health condition. These programs can vary significantly from state to state in price, benefits and number of people served. Often insurance companies doing business in the state are required to contribute to the pool to keep it in the black. In the best cases, they allow people to be able to switch jobs or become self-employed without the fear of losing their health insurance coverage. Read more about risk pools here.

Non-profit sources of health insurance information for Maryland

• The Foundation for Health Coverage Education's mission is to provide simplified public and private health insurance eligibility information in order to help more people access coverage. Here is its guide on how to find health insurance in Maryland.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is tracking the progress of health insurance reform in each state. Its page for Maryland can be found here.
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, non-profit organization that, among other things, provides health care plan report cards for consumers. Search for Maryland health insurance plan report cards.

Maryland state government health insurance resources

Health care reform and Maryland —  How the Affordable Care Act will be implemented in the State of Maryland.

Office of Maryland Health Care Reform —  A state web site to offer health reform information for Maryland individuals, families, seniors, and small businesses.

Maryland Children’s Health Program (MCHP) —  Uses federal and state funds to provide health care coverage to low-income children 18 and under and pregnant women of any age.

Maryland Medical Assistance Program —  Providing access to health care services for many of the state’s low-income residents. Individuals may be eligible for services through the Maryland Medicaid Program, the Maryland Children’s Health Program or the Maryland Primary Adult Care Program (PAC)

Maryland Health Care Commission —  Links to consumer guide to health insurance, provided by the State of Maryland.

How did Maryland officials vote on health reform?

H.R.2: Repealing the Health Care Bill

#14

Date of Vote: 1/19/2011 Status: House passed 245-189, 1 not voting

HOUSE|SENATE

1/19/2011--Passed House amended. Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions. [more]

Yes (2)

• Roscoe Bartlett
• Andy Harris

Our
Pick

No (6)

• Elijah Cummings
• Donna Edwards

• Steny Hoyer
• C.A. Ruppersberger

• John Sarbanes
• Christopher Van Hollen