Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Maryland (2026)

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Updated: September 21, 2026

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Best Medicare Advantage Providers in Maryland

UnitedHealthcare is the best Medicare Advantage company in Maryland for 2026. Medicare rates plans from one to five stars for care quality, and UnitedHealthcare holds the only five-star score among Maryland carriers alongside the lowest annual cost exposure at $5,825. Its plans cover only Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George's counties.   

Kaiser Permanente and Aetna Medicare each earn 4.5-star Medicare quality ratings. Kaiser covers 11 central Maryland counties and puts a $2,000 hearing aid allowance on every plan. Aetna Medicare covers three counties and includes dental, vision and hearing benefits on both of its plans.   

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Humana each cover all 24 Maryland counties. CareFirst is the only carrier with PPO plans statewide, which let you see out-of-network doctors at a higher cost. Check your county's options before enrolling.

UnitedHealthcare
4.5
$5,825
5
3
4
Aetna Medicare
4.3
$6,945
4.5
3
2
Kaiser Permanente
4.3
$8,195
4.5
11
7
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Medicare Advantage
4.2
$7,419
4
24
3
Humana
4.1
$7,550
3.5
24
8
Alterwood Advantage
4.1
$7,500
3.5
20
4
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD
4
$7,953
3.5
10
5

Maryland Medicare Advantage Market Overview

Maryland's Medicare Advantage market has 36 non-SNP plans from eight carriers for 2026. Medicare Advantage is private insurance offered through Medicare that bundles hospital, doctor and drug coverage into one plan, instead of using Original Medicare on its own.

Nearly half of Maryland plans charge no monthly premium, but the median out-of-pocket maximum is $7,500. Beneficiaries who prefer Original Medicare and want help managing its cost sharing can compare Medicare Supplement plans, which work alongside it to cover some of those costs.

Non-SNP Medicare Advantage plans
36
Maryland's 36-plan market is compact enough that residents can review every available option before enrolling.
Carriers
8
8 carriers serve Maryland's full MA market. In a smaller pool, each company's claims record and service history carry more weight.
CMS contracts
11
Quality ratings are assigned at the contract level. With 11 contracts, two plans from the same insurer can score differently.
Median plans per county
16
Most Maryland residents start with 16 local plans before expanding their search statewide.
Medicare Advantage enrollment in non-SNP plans
175,052
Plan performance data in this analysis covers 175,052 Maryland enrollees' in-state claims experience.
Plans with a $0 premium
56%
Nearly half of Maryland plans charge a monthly premium beyond Part B, so comparing premiums matters here alongside out-of-pocket costs.
Median max out-of-pocket (MOOP)
$7,500
A $0-premium plan in Maryland doesn't mean low annual cost. In-network exposure reaches $7,500 under a typical plan.
MOOP range
$2,900–$9,250
Plan selection in Maryland carries a $6,350 annual cost swing between the lowest and highest MOOP available.
Average CMS star rating
3.94 out of 5
At 3.94 stars, Maryland's average sits just below the four-star CMS quality mark.
Contracts rated 4+ stars
45%
Less than half of Maryland's contracts reach four CMS stars. Verify individual contract ratings before committing to a plan.
UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare

MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
4.6/5Affordability
4.8/5Quality & Member Experience
3.7/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $5,825

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    5

  • Counties Served

    3

  • Plans Available

    4
Aetna Medicare

Aetna Medicare

MoneyGeek Rating
4.3/ 5
4.4/5Affordability
4.5/5Quality & Member Experience
3.9/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $6,945

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4.5

  • Counties Served

    3

  • Plans Available

    2
Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente

MoneyGeek Rating
4.3/ 5
4.1/5Affordability
4.5/5Quality & Member Experience
4.3/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $8,195

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4.5

  • Counties Served

    11

  • Plans Available

    7
CareFirst BCBS

CareFirst BCBS

MoneyGeek Rating
4.2/ 5
4.1/5Affordability
4.2/5Quality & Member Experience
4.4/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $7,419

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4

  • Counties Served

    24

  • Plans Available

    3
Humana

Humana

MoneyGeek Rating
4.1/ 5
4.3/5Affordability
3.8/5Quality & Member Experience
4.4/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $7,550

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3.5

  • Counties Served

    24

  • Plans Available

    8
Alterwood Advantage

Alterwood Advantage

MoneyGeek Rating
4.1/ 5
4.3/5Affordability
3.8/5Quality & Member Experience
4.3/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $7,500

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3.5

  • Counties Served

    20

  • Plans Available

    4
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD

Johns Hopkins Advantage MD

MoneyGeek Rating
4/ 5
4.2/5Affordability
3.8/5Quality & Member Experience
4.1/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $7,953

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3.5

  • Counties Served

    10

  • Plans Available

    5

How to Find the Best Maryland Medicare Advantage Plans

Confirm your doctors are in the plan's network before comparing premiums. HMO plan members pay the full cost of any out-of-network visit themselves, on top of their monthly premium.

  1. 1
    Check Your Doctor and Hospital Network

    Your plan's network needs to include both your doctors and the hospitals they use, so confirm the network covers both before enrolling. HMO plans limit you to in-network providers except in emergencies. PPO plans allow out-of-network visits but charge you a higher share of the cost per visit.

  2. 2
    Compare Maximum Out-of-Pocket Costs

    The highest amount you'd pay for covered services in a year is your maximum out-of-pocket cost, and comparing it matters as much as comparing premiums. Alterwood's $31 a month Choice Plus plan comes with a $6,876 out-of-pocket cost exposure. Kaiser Permanente's Standard 1 MD plan costs $25 a month with an $8,195 out-of-pocket cost exposure. Confirm your expected care needs before choosing based on the lower monthly premium alone.

  3. 3
    Review Prescription Drug Coverage

    Your medications need to appear on the plan's covered drug list, and the pricing tier each drug falls on determines your cost per fill, with higher tiers costing more. Most Maryland Medicare Advantage plans include Part D, Medicare's prescription drug benefit, but some require separate enrollment for it.

  4. 4
    Evaluate Additional Benefits

    Dental, vision, hearing and fitness benefits vary by plan. Before enrolling, confirm the specific benefits you use regularly are included and check any annual dollar limits on each.

  5. 5
    Consider CMS Star Ratings

    Each plan's CMS star rating measures quality and performance on a one-to-five-star scale. Carriers in Maryland range from 3.0 to 5.0 stars. When two plans have similar costs and benefits, choose the one with the higher rating. UnitedHealthcare holds the only five-star rating among Maryland carriers.

How Much Does Medicare Advantage Cost in Maryland?

The plan type you choose affects your worst-case annual cost as much as the carrier. HMO-POS plans carry a $12 median monthly premium, but their $6,750 median out-of-pocket maximum is $1,450 lower than the HMO median. At the median, HMO-POS plans have a lower out-of-pocket maximum even after accounting for the $12 median monthly premium.

Frequent specialist visits shift the calculation toward PPO plans, which have a $15 median specialist copay compared to $35 for HMO and HMO-POS plans. PPOs carry no median monthly premium. If you see specialists regularly, that $20 per-visit difference compounds faster than any premium savings from other plan types.

Median Monthly Premium
$0
$12
$0
Median Max Out-of-Pocket
$8,200
$6,750
$7,550
Median Inpatient Copay
$348
$375
$380
Median PCP Copay
$15
$10
$15
Median Specialist Copay
$35
$35
$15

*Median cost figures across all 36 non-SNP Maryland MA plans, grouped by plan type. All dollar figures rounded to nearest dollar. Source: CMS 2026 data, MoneyGeek analysis.

Maryland Medicare Advantage Resources

Maryland residents can get free counseling, compare plans and find financial assistance through these state and federal resources.

  • Maryland Insurance Administration: The state agency that licenses and regulates Maryland insurers. Use it to verify a carrier's standing, review consumer protections or file a complaint about a plan or insurer.
  • Maryland SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Free, unbiased counseling for Medicare beneficiaries. SHIP counselors help compare Medicare Advantage plans, review enrollment options and answer coverage questions at no cost.
  • Medicare.gov Plan Finder: The official federal tool to compare Medicare Advantage plans by ZIP code, including CMS star ratings, prescription drug coverage, out-of-pocket limits and monthly premiums.
  • Maryland Medicare Savings Programs: May help eligible residents pay Part B premiums and other Medicare cost-sharing expenses, including deductibles and copays. Eligibility is income-based.
  • Social Security Administration: Handles Medicare enrollment for most Maryland residents. Use it to apply for Medicare, verify enrollment status or arrange premium payment.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Our Methodology

MoneyGeek compared Maryland Medicare Advantage carriers for the 2026 plan year. The analysis spanned five CMS data sources: the Medicare Plan Landscape File, Plan Benefit Package files, CMS Star Ratings, the CAHPS Report Card Master Table and the Contract/Plan Enrollment file.   

How We Score Carriers

MoneyGeek scores each Maryland carrier out of five on three weighted categories.   

  • Affordability (40%): Maximum annual cost exposure includes annual premiums, the out-of-pocket maximum and inpatient hospital, specialist and primary care costs.
  • Quality and Member Experience (40%): Sixty percent of this category goes to CMS Star Ratings and 40% to CAHPS C26 member ratings. MoneyGeek reports both at the contract level.
  • Benefits and Access (20%): Supplemental benefits, including dental, OTC, vision and hearing, make up 50% of this category. County coverage makes up 30% of this category and plan choice per county accounts for the remaining 20%.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed P&C Insurance Expert, MoneyGeek

Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut and MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. In nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek, he's analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.

His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.

Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

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