Which Maryland HealthChoice Plan Should You Choose in 2026?

When you qualify for Maryland Medicaid, you don't just get "Medicaid" — you pick one of nine private health plans that actually delivers your care under a program called HealthChoice. That choice sets which doctors are in your network, which extra benefits you get, and — in a few cases — whether a plan even operates in your county. And Maryland does one thing differently from states like Washington: you get 90 days to switch freely, then you're locked in for a year. So the pick you make up front matters more here than almost anywhere else.

How HealthChoice works

Maryland Medicaid is administered by the Maryland Department of Health, and for most enrollees the coverage is delivered through HealthChoice — the state's mandatory managed-care program. Instead of the state paying doctors directly for each service, it contracts with private health plans that manage your care for a set monthly fee and compete for members with extra benefits on top of the state-required basics.

You enroll and pick a plan through Maryland Health Connection — online at marylandhealthconnection.gov, through the EnrollMHC mobile app, or by calling 1-855-642-8572. When you're first found eligible, you have 28 days to choose an MCO. If you don't choose, the state auto-assigns you to one available in your county — which is exactly why it's worth choosing on purpose. If you're just checking whether you qualify in the first place, start with our Maryland Medicaid eligibility guide, then come back here to choose a plan.

The nine HealthChoice plans at a glance

Every plan covers the same core HealthChoice benefits — doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, behavioral health, maternity care, lab work, and more. Where they compete is on network size, the counties they serve, and the "value-added benefits" each plan sets for itself. Here's the shape of it:

Value-added benefits change every year and each plan sets its own, so treat the extras above as a directional starting point. Confirm the current specifics directly with the plan and on the MCO comparison chart at Maryland Health Connection before you decide.

Start with geography — it narrows the field fast

Before you weigh benefits, check which plans actually serve your county. Six of the nine are statewide: Wellpoint, Priority Partners, CareFirst Community Health Plan, Aetna Better Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Maryland Physicians Care. The other three are limited:

• Kaiser Permanente serves the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metro suburbs. It's the only plan that runs its own clinics and pharmacies, so it's a strong fit if you live in its area and want one integrated system — and a non-starter if you don't.
• Jai Medical Systems operates in Baltimore City and its five surrounding counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard).
• MedStar Family Choice covers a wide swath of the state but isn't fully statewide — confirm your county before you count on it.

If you live outside the Baltimore–D.C. corridor, that alone likely trims your choice to the six statewide plans.

How to choose — by your situation

Once you know which plans serve you, the right pick depends less on "which is best" and more on "which fits your life." A few common cases:

Getting to appointments is your real barrier

If transportation is the problem, CareFirst Community Health Plan lists six free one-way rides for non-emergency medical needs, and Jai Medical Systems offers free rides to primary-care visits (in its service area). MedStar Family Choice and Wellpoint also help with medically necessary transportation. Note that HealthChoice enrollees can also use their county's separate non-emergency medical transportation benefit, so ask about both.

You're pregnant or have a new baby

All nine plans cover maternity care, but the reward extras differ. Aetna Better Health pays rewards for completing prenatal and postpartum visits, and Priority Partners' prepaid-card program includes an incentive for a prenatal visit. If you're weighing plans while pregnant, ask each one about maternity rewards, a breast pump, and whether your OB and delivering hospital are in network.

You want to stretch a tight budget

The over-the-counter and gift-card extras add up. Wellpoint gives $30 in OTC products each quarter; Aetna gives $15 a month through CVS; and Maryland Physicians Care waives copays on OTC prescriptions. Most plans run a rewards program — CareFirst's MyHealth Rewards, Maryland Physicians Care's and Jai's Healthy Rewards, and Priority Partners' Small Steps, Big Rewards — that pays gift cards or a prepaid card for completing checkups and screenings.

Dental and vision extras matter to you

Adult dental is now a covered Maryland Medicaid benefit for everyone (more on that below), but a couple of plans layer on extras. CareFirst gives adults 21+ a $150-a-year eyewear allowance; Jai Medical Systems and Maryland Physicians Care highlight adult vision coverage; and Wellpoint advertises additional adult dental benefits on top of the state package. If a specific eyeglass or dental perk is the deciding factor, confirm the current details with the plan.

The 90-day rule: how (and when) you can switch

This is where Maryland differs from more flexible states, and it's the reason the up-front choice matters. Here's the timeline:

• First 28 days: after you're found eligible, you have 28 days to pick a plan. Don't pick, and the state assigns you one available in your county.
• First 90 days in a plan: you can switch to any other plan available where you live, for any reason, with no penalty. This is your real window — if an auto-assignment landed you somewhere your doctor isn't, use it.
• After 90 days: you're generally locked in for 12 months. Once a year after that, you get another chance to change plans.
• Good-cause exceptions: you can change outside those windows for specific reasons — for example, moving to a county your plan doesn't serve, or wanting your whole family in the same plan.

To change, go back through Maryland Health Connection or call 1-855-642-8572. The practical takeaway: treat the first 90 days as a trial period, verify your doctors early, and switch before the lock-in closes if the fit is wrong.

Adult dental is covered — and it's not run by your MCO the old way

Good news that surprises a lot of adults: Maryland Medicaid covers adult dental. Comprehensive dental benefits for adults were added to HealthChoice on January 1, 2023, through the Maryland Healthy Smiles Dental Program — exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, and more. So dental coverage isn't a reason to pick one plan over another for the basics; the extras (like Wellpoint's added adult dental or CareFirst's eyewear allowance) are the differentiators. For the full picture of what Medicaid dental does and doesn't include, see our guide on whether Medicaid covers dental.

Moving to Maryland from another state, or thinking about leaving? Medicaid doesn't transfer across state lines — here's what happens to your Medicaid when you move. And if your income is now too high for HealthChoice, our guide on Medicaid vs. the marketplace explains where subsidized private coverage picks up.

Frequently asked questions

SubsidyCalc is an independent data project, not a health plan, broker, or government agency. This guide is general information, not medical, legal, or insurance advice. Plan benefits, service areas, and rules change — confirm current details with each plan and Maryland Health Connection before enrolling.