Maryland CHIP: Children's Health Insurance Program

Source: Maryland Department of Health income limits page (health.maryland.gov/mmcp), effective February 1, 2026; COMAR 10.09.11 regulations; 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines. The 322% FPL figure is the combined MCHP + MCHP Premium ceiling calculated from Maryland's official monthly income limit table. FPL dollar amounts update annually. Verify current figures at marylandhealthconnection.gov.

Children enrolled in MCHP receive comprehensive coverage through a HealthChoice MCO. Per the federal EPSDT mandate and Maryland's program design, covered services include:

Apply for MCHP through Maryland Health Connection at marylandhealthconnection.gov or by calling 1-855-642-8572. Children can also be enrolled in person at local Department of Social Services offices or through a certified enrollment assister. Newborns born to MCHP-enrolled mothers are automatically enrolled at birth. Children losing employer-sponsored insurance qualify for a Special Enrollment Period — contact Maryland Health Connection within 60 days of losing coverage.

CHIP — the Children's Health Insurance Program — is a federal-state partnership that covers children in families whose income is too high for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance. Congress created CHIP in 1997 under Title XXI of the Social Security Act. Like Medicaid, CHIP is jointly funded by the federal government and each state, and each state administers its own program.

CHIP serves children up to age 19 (some states cover to 21 for children in foster care). It is not available to adults — CHIP is specifically designed to address the coverage gap for children in working families. Nationally, CHIP covers approximately 7 million children, according to CMS data.