Maryland Health Insurance Guide

There is no denying that each resident in Maryland ideally should have insurance policy to address the rising cost of health and medical care. However, in order to get a good deal, a prospective policyholder should be of good health with no preexisting medical conditions whatsoever. This is because most insurance providers do not issue policies to those whom they perceive to be of risky healthy status, hence, increasing the probability of them requiring expensive medical services than the normal person. Should a policyholder withhold any pertinent information regarding his or health status, the state of Maryland allows the insurance provider to cancel or to non-renew the policy due to fraud or misrepresentation. Health insurance policies issued to perfectly healthy individuals are called medically underwritten policies.

There are also several new rules and regulations implemented by the state of Maryland regarding children who are dependents on their parent’s policy. Under the new law, a child will be allowed to remain a dependent up to the age of 25, provided he or she fulfills the criteria set forth by the law, such as being a full-time student, is unmarried, and still depends on the parent for providing more than half of his or her support. Those who are interested in including their adult children in their heath insurance policies should contact their local insurance agent for more details on whether they qualify in this provision or not.

There are also several provisions applicable to those who just lost their employment. For married employees, coverage can still be continued under the spouse’s health plan, provided they enroll within the specified time limit, which is 30 days for voluntary resignation and six months for those experienced involuntary termination. Those who have been enrolled in their employer’s health plan and may find themselves resigning from work also have a stipulated period of time in which they can continue their health coverage within a specified period of time, provided they shoulder all the premium costs after leaving their job. The state also has its own Maryland Continuation Coverage law which is designed for employees who lost their jobs. The law is also only applicable to residents of Maryland as well as those who have been covered by their employer’s group plan for at least three months prior to termination or resignation. Employees who lost their job could also inquire with their human resources department on whether their group plan can be converted to an individual policy, as some group policy also carry this provision. Keep in mind, though, that converted health plans may cost more to maintain and may not be as comprehensive as the previous one.

Under Maryland law, insurers are also required to provide coverage to the surviving spouse and children should an employee covered under a group health plan suddenly dies. However, this law is also applicable to residents of the state and those who were insured for the minimum time of three months. Those who have difficulty obtaining health insurance through the usual sources can approach the Maryland Health Insurance Plan, which was specifically designed for those with pre-existing medical condition that insurance providers might not cover.

It would also be good for policyholders to know that the state also imposes several mandatory benefits that insurance providers must offer to consumers wishing to purchase a health insurance policy and it’s up to the consumer to purchase these coverage or not. Failure of a provider to offer these benefits could mean sanction or imposition of fines. Included in the list of mandatory benefits is treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, benefits for disabilities caused by pregnancy or childbirth, and hospice services. However, there are several types of health plans that are excluded from offering mandatory benefits, such as self-insured plans, small employer's health plans, as well as federal plans, and the Maryland Health Insurance Plan.

We help our Maryland customers in Baltimore, Columbia, Silver Spring, Dundalk, Wheaton-Glenmont, Ellicott City, Germantown, Bethesda, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Bowie, MD and other cities in the Old Line State lower their premiums and save money on all types of insurance. Use the form above to find low cost auto, homeowners, health, medical, life and long term care insurance. Using our Maryland insurance agent and broker network, you can independently compare rates from up to five insurance companies.

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