State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling in Maryland. Trained counselors go through your costs and choices with you, and they don't sell plans.
Medicare and health costs
Maryland Medicaid in Maryland
Maryland Medicaid, also called Medical Assistance, covers people 65 and older in its Aged, Blind and Disabled (MA-ABD) group and can pay health costs Medicare doesn't.
If you get SSI you are already eligible and don't need to apply. Others may qualify by spending down: once medical bills bring your income to Maryland's medically needy level, Medicaid can pay, with a $2,500 savings limit for one person.
How to apply in Maryland
- In person
- At your local department of social services or local health department. You can also mail a completed application to your local department of social services.
Applying is free. Nobody should charge you to apply.
Apply on the official siteWho may qualify in Maryland
| One person | Married couple | |
|---|---|---|
| Income limit (2026) | $994 a month (through SSI) | $1,491 a month (through SSI) Source: KFF (source 4) |
| Savings limit (MA-ABD, 2026) | $2,500 | $3,000 |
| Spend-down if your income is over the limit | Yes: you may qualify if medical bills bring your income down to $350 a month for one person or $392 for a couple (2026) |
|---|---|
| Income limit for nursing-home or home-care Medicaid (2026) | $2,982 a month (300% of the SSI amount) Source: KFF (source 4) |
| Medicaid for adults under 65 (expansion) | Yes: Maryland expanded Medicaid to low-income adults under 65 Source: KFF (source 5) |
How Maryland is different
Where Maryland's rules differ from the federal rules for Medicaid for people with Medicare.
- Spend-down (medically needy) available for people over the income limit
- Savings limit of $2,500 for one person
- Help at home through Community First Choice and the Community Options Waiver
Good to know
- If you get SSI, you are eligible for Medicaid and do not need to apply.
Free help
Free help with this in Maryland
Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA)
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in Maryland
Medicaid for older adults in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- Maryland Department of Aging, Memorandum #26-5: Eligibility Requirements for Select Income-Based Federal and State Programs (2026) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Maryland Department of Health, How to Apply (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Maryland Department of Health, Medicare Savings Programs (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- KFF, Medicaid Eligibility Levels for Older Adults and People with Disabilities (Non-MAGI) in 2026. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- KFF, Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
Was this page helpful?
Report an error on this page
Newsletter
Get an email when the rules change
Benefit figures, deadlines and rules change every year. We'll tell you what changed and what to check, about twice a month.
- Free, about twice a month
- One-click unsubscribe in every email
- We never sell or share your email