Maryland Medicaid Office

Maryland Medicaid office (MDH)

About 1.5 million Marylanders get health insurance through Maryland Medicaid — nearly one in four people in the state, and half of those covered are children. Locally, people also call the program "Medical Assistance." Day-to-day operations are split across four entities, and knowing which one handles what is the fastest way to get a question answered.

How the pieces fit together

• Maryland Department of Health (MDH) — the cabinet-level state agency that oversees public health programs, including Medicaid.
• Medicaid (the Medical Care Programs Administration, MCPA) — the division inside MDH that sets policy, certifies providers, and pays for member care.
• Maryland Health Connection — the state's health insurance marketplace and the place where most Marylanders apply for Medicaid and pick a managed care plan.
• HealthChoice — the brand for Maryland's Medicaid managed care program. Most members enroll in one of the participating Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).

Where to call

• Maryland Health Connection — 1-855-642-8572 to apply, switch a plan, or update your case.
• HealthChoice Helpline — 800-284-4510 for questions about your health plan, provider, or a specific service.
• Department of Human Services (DHS) — for aged, blind, or disabled applicants; apply at a local Department of Social Services or online at mymdthink.maryland.gov.
• Provider Finder — Maryland Medicaid's online tool that lists doctors, dentists, hospitals, clinics, and specialists who take Medicaid, along with the HealthChoice plans each accepts. The Provider Finder replaced the older HealthChoice Provider Directory in September 2025.
• Maryland Healthy Smiles Dental Program — the state's standalone Medicaid dental administrator; visit the MDH dental page for the program contact.

Who qualifies for Maryland Medicaid?

Maryland Medicaid requires three things at a minimum: be a Maryland resident, be a U.S. citizen or a qualified non-citizen, and meet the income limit for your coverage group. Some programs add a fourth requirement — a technical category (a certain age, a disability), a financial test (income and asset limits for older adults and people with disabilities), or a medical test (a specific level of care for long-term services).

Coverage tracks

• Adults age 20–64, children, pregnant individuals, parents and caretakers, former foster youth — apply through Maryland Health Connection. Income-only test (MAGI); no asset test.
• Aged 65+, blind, or disabled — apply through the Department of Human Services (DHS) at a local Department of Social Services or online at mymdthink.maryland.gov. Income and asset limits apply.
• SSI recipients — already automatically eligible. No separate Medicaid application needed.
• Children separately — your child may qualify even if you don't, through the Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP), the state's CHIP.

Other Medicaid pathways

• Employed Individuals with Disabilities (EID) Program — a buy-in for working adults with disabilities. No maximum income limit; higher asset threshold than the standard ABD track.
• Medicaid Family Planning Program — narrower coverage focused on contraception, family planning supplies, and related services for applicants whose income is above the regular Medicaid limit.
• Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) — help with Medicare premiums and cost-sharing for QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollees with limited income and resources.

Renewals

Maryland renews Medicaid coverage once each year. The state first attempts to renew electronically using federal and state data. When that confirms eligibility, the household keeps coverage with no paperwork. When data does not match, the household receives a pre-populated renewal packet — return it by the printed deadline through Maryland Health Connection (or through DHS for aged, blind, or disabled cases) or coverage closes.

Maryland Medicaid income and asset limits (effective February 1, 2026)

Maryland Medicaid uses different income limits for different coverage groups, and the table headers don't follow the usual percent-of-FPL convention — MDH publishes monthly dollar limits directly. The chart below is effective February 1, 2026. The federal poverty figures update each January, so MDH reissues the chart annually.

MAGI categories — apply through Maryland Health Connection

For households larger than eight, call Maryland Health Connection at 1-855-642-8572 for the income limit. MDH notes that some applicants whose income is above the listed limit may still qualify — there are exceptions to countable income that the application will work through.

Aged 65+, blind, or disabled — apply through DHS

Older adults, blind, and disabled applicants — including those in Home and Community-Based Service programs — face a much lower income limit and an asset test.

Income and asset limits for ABD applicants reflect Maryland-specific standards rather than the federal SSI floor. Call DHS for help with your specific limit amount.

Employed Individuals with Disabilities (EID) Program

EID has no maximum income limit. The asset limit for a single applicant is $10,000, with some types and amounts of assets excluded from the count. EID is a Medicaid buy-in for working adults with disabilities.

Medicare Savings Programs

QMB, SLMB, and QI use separate income and asset standards published on MDH's Medicare Savings Programs page. These programs pay Medicare premiums and, for QMB, also Medicare deductibles and coinsurance.

How to apply for Maryland Medicaid

Maryland sorts Medicaid applications into two tracks, each with its own portal and its own set of channels. Which track you use depends on whether you're applying as a regular MAGI applicant (children, pregnant individuals, parents, adults under 65, former foster youth) or as an aged, blind, or disabled applicant. MDH's plain-language guidance is that "there is no wrong way to apply for Medicaid" — someone will help you wherever you start.

If you are 20–64, a child, pregnant, a parent or caretaker, or former foster youth

You apply through Maryland Health Connection:

• Online — marylandhealthconnection.gov
• Mobile app — the free Maryland Health Connection app for iOS and Android
• By phone — 1-855-642-8572
• In person — at a local health department or at a local Department of Social Services

If you are aged 65+, blind, or disabled

You apply through the Department of Human Services:

• In person — at a local Department of Social Services
• Online — at marylandbenefits.gov (myMDTHINK)
• By mail — mail a completed paper application to your local Department of Social Services

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

You're already eligible for Maryland Medicaid. No separate application is needed — coverage flows automatically from the SSI determination.

If you are waiting on Medicare disability

People with a disability face a 24-month waiting period before Medicare coverage starts. During that window, you may qualify for Maryland Medicaid — apply through Maryland Health Connection or DHS depending on your category.

Other application pathways

• Employed Individuals with Disabilities (EID) Program — separate buy-in application; see the MDH EID page.
• Medicare Savings Programs — see the MDH Medicare Savings Programs page for application instructions.
• Free help — Maryland Health Connection contracts with Navigator and Connector Entities statewide. The state publishes a county-by-county locator.

How long does a decision take?

Federal rules give states up to 45 days to decide most Medicaid applications and up to 90 days for an application based on disability. Maryland Medicaid coverage can start right away if you are eligible. Retroactive coverage may be available for up to three months before the application month for qualifying medical bills.

What Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice) covers

HealthChoice is the brand for Maryland Medicaid's managed care program — the way most members receive care. Once enrolled in Medicaid through Maryland Health Connection, you pick a Managed Care Organization (MCO), and that MCO's provider network determines which doctors, hospitals, and specialists you can use. Maryland publishes a Provider Finder tool to confirm which providers take Medicaid and which HealthChoice plans they participate in.

HealthChoice MCOs (as of February 2026)

• Aetna Better Health — 1-866-827-2710
• CareFirst — 1-800-730-8530
• Jai Medical Systems — 1-888-524-1999
• Kaiser Permanente — 1-855-249-5019
• Maryland Physicians Care — 1-800-953-8854
• MedStar Family Choice — 1-888-404-3549
• Priority Partners — 1-800-654-9728
• UnitedHealthcare — 1-800-318-8821
• Wellpoint Maryland — 1-833-707-0867

Priority Partners reinstatement — effective February 2, 2026

Priority Partners is again accepting new HealthChoice members as of February 2, 2026. MDH had imposed an enrollment sanction beginning March 2025 after Priority Partners lost its National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation. The plan regained that accreditation in December 2025, and MDH lifted the sanction. Existing Priority Partners members were unaffected throughout the sanction and need to take no action now.

Switching plans

• New HealthChoice members — 90 days after enrolling in Medicaid to change your plan for any reason.
• Existing HealthChoice members — change plans after 12 months, or sooner for qualifying reasons.
• To switch, contact Maryland Health Connection at 855-642-8572.

Behavioral health

HealthChoice publishes a separate Behavioral Health Coverage page. Behavioral health services run alongside the physical-health benefits of the MCO and are coordinated through MDH's behavioral health administrator.

Long-term services and supports, dental, and other state-administered benefits

• Community First Choice and other Maryland HCBS programs cover home- and community-based services for members who would otherwise need nursing-facility care.
• The Maryland Healthy Smiles Dental Program administers Medicaid dental benefits.
• HealthChoice members can request an independent review, file a complaint, or check the program's Quality Assurance Annual Reports through MDH's HealthChoice Quick Links.

For any question about a covered service, a provider, or how to switch plans, call the HealthChoice Helpline at 800-284-4510.

Other state Medicaid pages