Healthy Is The New Look For 2025

Nearly 250,000 Enroll For 2025 Plans Through Maryland Health Connection. Enrollment increased by 16% over last year – seventh annual increase in a row.

BALTIMORE (Jan. 17, 2025) – Nearly a quarter-million Marylanders enrolled for 2025 through Maryland Health Connection – a new record for the state-based health insurance marketplace.

A total of 247,243 enrolled during the open enrollment period that began Nov. 1, 2024 and ended Wednesday. That was up 16% from 213,895 enrollments one year ago. Approximately 150 people who were in line with the Maryland Health Connection call center at midnight Wednesday may be in the process of completing their enrollments this week.

This marked the seventh consecutive year of enrollment increases in the health insurance marketplace that Maryland established in 2013 following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Total enrollment is up 56% since the pandemic.

Enrollments by young adults aged 18-37 grew 21% from 73,858 to 89,642. More than two-thirds of them – 64,820 – were eligible for a subsidy that Maryland created for young adults in 2022 to encourage their enrollment in health insurance. Their participation helps lower rates for everyone. The General Assembly will consider legislation this winter to make that program permanent.

“This is important because young adults are among the most likely populations to go without health insurance. They make up more than 40% of the uninsured population in Maryland,” said Michele Eberle, executive director of Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, which operates Maryland Health Connection. “Because young adults are healthier on average, that holds down premium costs for everyone. And it is important for their own sake as young adults have experienced greater incidents of mental health and substance abuse problems for which they can be treated with health coverage.”

Maryland Health Connection directed a portion of its marketing efforts to Black and Hispanic communities that historically have lacked health insurance. Enrollment by Black consumers grew 23% from 41,611 to 51,086 for 2025. And enrollment by Hispanic consumers grew 25% from 28,701 to 35,883.