Navigate Our Health Insurance Assistance Network
You finally get a break for lunch, and a server hands you a menu the size of a dictionary. So many options. What’s the difference between a starter and an appetizer? Decisions, decisions. Just as you feel overwhelmed with food options, you may feel like you’re drowning in the choices you must make about your health insurance. Let’s alleviate some of that stress right now. Start with Maryland Health Connection, the only place you can receive financial help with your health plan.
Health insurance, like life, is complicated. It’s no wonder you need help choosing a plan and understanding the lingo. Fortunately, Maryland Health Connection has experts throughout the state to help. What are the differences between those places? How do you know they’re affiliated with Maryland Health Connection? Where can you go with a question if you’ve already enrolled in a plan? Here, we’ll break it down for you so you know where to go to find a real person with real answers.
Consumer assistance organizations
Maryland Health Connection’s consumer assistance organizations have staff in every county to provide free, in-person assistance to help you determine if you qualify to get lower costs for a private health plan, or if you qualify for free health coverage through Medicaid.
Our team of navigators work for these consumer assistance organizations. Navigators can help you navigate the application process. Makes sense, right? They can help you apply for health insurance and answer your questions. However, you will have to be the one to choose which plan you’d like. Click here to see a few videos of navigators in Maryland answering some common questions.
The consumer assistance organizations in Maryland that partner with us are HealthCare Access Maryland, Seedco, Western Maryland Health Insurance Connector (AHEC West), Prince George’s County Health Connect, Montgomery County Health Connection, and Lower Shore Health Insurance Assistance Program. You can find the regions each of these organizations cover on the map below.
To see a contact list for these regions, click here.
Authorized insurance brokers
Authorized insurance brokers are different than consumer assistance organizations in that they can help you choose an insurance company and health plan that meet the needs of you and your family, and help enrollees with any administrative problems. Like our other partners, help from them is free.
Certified application counselors (CACs)
CACs are trained counselors certified by Maryland Health Connection who provide free, in-person help with your application. They work for community-based organizations, health care providers, units of state or local government, and other entities authorized by Maryland Health Connection. We call these companies Application Counselor Sponsoring Entities (ACSE). For a list of organizations that have CACs, please click here.
Local health departments
Did you know you can sign up for Medicaid year-round? Your local health department and department of social services have representatives who can help you with your health insurance. Pregnant women are encouraged to apply at local health departments.
Consumer support center (call center)
You can call us with questions or issues with your online application, and one of our representatives can assist you. The toll-free phone number is 1-855-642-8572
(TTY: 1-855-642-8573).
Our consumer support center offers assistance in more than 200 languages, as well as TTY services for the deaf and hard of hearing. Hours: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Want more information on how to get help? Head to https://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/find-help.
About Maryland Health Connection
Maryland Health Connection is Maryland’s official health insurance marketplace for individuals and families to compare plans and enroll in health and dental coverage. It’s the only place to get financial help with health insurance. See if you qualify for financial help like tax credits or Medicaid/MCHP to make health insurance more affordable.
Visit MarylandHealthConnection.gov to enroll, or download our free Enroll MHC mobile app for Android and iPhone.
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