Not on Medicare Yet? Maryland Approves 14.6% Average Rise in Unsubsidized 2027 Individual Health Premiums

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — Talbot residents who buy their own health insurance and are not yet on Medicare face higher average sticker prices next year. The Maryland Insurance Administration has approved an average 14.6% increase for unsubsidized individual Affordable Care Act plans in 2027.

The approved rise reflects the expiration of enhanced federal premium tax credits, federal H.R. 1 changes to who is eligible for exchange coverage, and rising hospital and drug costs, according to the administration's Sept. 25 announcement. Small-group plans, for employers with 50 or fewer full-time workers, will rise an average of 10.2%.

For residents who qualify for financial help, the approved increase does not necessarily mean they will pay more. Maryland's state premium assistance program, offered through Maryland Health Connection to eligible residents with household incomes below 400% of the federal poverty level, will continue in 2027 at the same level as in 2026, Gov. Wes Moore's office said Oct. 20. About 70% of Maryland Health Connection users receive a premium subsidy, according to the insurance administration.

The increase applies to unsubsidized individual coverage, including plans bought by people who are not yet on Medicare. The actual change for a given plan depends on the carrier and the plan, and the administration's published examples are for a 40-year-old in the Baltimore metro region, not the Shore.

Open enrollment on Maryland Health Connection starts Nov. 1. "Maryland residents are encouraged to carefully review their renewal notices and compare available plans during open enrollment," Insurance Commissioner Marie Grant said. Maryland Health Connection lists free help at enrollment events.

About 274,000 Marylanders are covered through the individual market, down from 294,000 last year, according to the administration.