Maryland Long Term Care Insurance
Learn about Maryland long term care insurance. Get expert guidance and free quotes from LTC Tree.
A Marylander who reaches age 65 faces roughly a 70% chance of needing some form of long-term care during their remaining life, per the federal longtermcare.gov consumer site operated by the Administration for Community Living. In Maryland, that risk meets Medical Assistance — the state's Medicaid program — which only pays for nursing-facility and home-and-community-based care after applicants spend down to strict countable-asset limits and clear a five-year transfer lookback.
Maryland's population aged 65 and older has grown substantially as baby boomers age, per U.S. Census population estimates, and long-term services and supports (LTSS) now represents one of the largest categories within the Medical Assistance budget. That pressure is visible in both household finances and state policy.
What Long-Term Care Costs in Maryland
Private long-term care rates in Maryland vary sharply by county and care setting, with the highest private-pay nursing-facility rates concentrated in the Baltimore metro and the Washington, D.C. suburbs. Facility-level rates, inspection history, and staffing data for every Medicare-certified Maryland nursing facility are published on Medicare.gov's Nursing Home Compare. County-level home-care and assisted-living ranges can be requested through Maryland Access Point, the state's aging and disability resource network.
Because Medicaid reimbursement rates are set well below private-pay rates, a private-pay resident generally depletes savings faster than a Medicaid recipient — which is why sizing your benefit amount against the specific county you expect to retire in is the practical starting point. Kaiser Family Foundation state health facts track Maryland's Medicaid LTSS spending over time for readers who want the fiscal backdrop.
Data as of April 2026.
Paying for Long-Term Care in Maryland
Four payers cover almost all LTC in Maryland: private savings, long-term care insurance, Medical Assistance, and — for short post-hospital stays only — Medicare. Medicare is not a long-term care program.
Medical Assistance eligibility. Single applicants must reduce countable assets to a low state-set threshold before Medical Assistance will pay for nursing-facility or HCBS waiver services. Married couples receive a separate community-spouse resource allowance, and Maryland enforces a five-year lookback on uncompensated transfers along with a federally indexed home-equity limit. Current dollar thresholds and the full rulebook are maintained by the Maryland Department of Health Medical Assistance program.
Home- and community-based care. Maryland funds in-home care primarily through the Community First Choice (CFC) state-plan option and the Community Options Waiver, both of which let qualifying older adults and adults with disabilities receive nursing-facility-level services in their homes rather than in an institution. Statewide intake for aging and disability services runs through Maryland Access Point (MAP), the state's ADRC network operated under the Maryland Department of Aging. The Maryland Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for residents already in facilities.
Partnership program. Maryland operates an active Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership Program, administered jointly by the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) and the Department of Health. A qualifying Partnership policy provides a dollar-for-dollar Medical Assistance asset disregard equal to the benefits the policy paid out — a policyholder who used $250,000 in Partnership benefits could keep an additional $250,000 in countable assets if they later applied for Medical Assistance. Partnership policies in Maryland must include compound inflation protection for applicants under 76 and meet other state-mandated design rules.
Long-Term Care Insurance Options for Maryland Residents
Maryland's LTC insurance market has consolidated over the past decade. Several household-name carriers — including Genworth, John Hancock, MetLife, Prudential, Transamerica, and MassMutual — no longer issue new traditional individual LTC policies anywhere, Maryland included. What remains is a smaller group of traditional carriers alongside a broader roster of hybrid life/LTC and annuity/LTC designs.
For the current authorized list of companies licensed to write LTC coverage in Maryland — and for the subset approved to issue Partnership-qualified policies — consult the Maryland Insurance Administration consumer resources. An independent broker can then run head-to-head quotes across whichever carriers are actively filed in the state.
What Drives Your Maryland LTC Premium
Because Partnership asset protection in Maryland is tied dollar-for-dollar to the benefits your policy actually pays out, the daily or monthly benefit and total benefit pool are the single biggest premium levers. Key variables:
- Age at application (younger applicants pay less and underwrite more easily)
- Health rating assigned during underwriting
- Daily or monthly benefit and total benefit pool
- Inflation protection (compound vs. fixed; compound is required for Partnership eligibility for most ages)
- Elimination period (30, 60, or 90 days)
- Spousal or partner discount and carrier selection
Use the quote form above to see what those levers translate to for your situation.
Tax Benefits for Maryland Residents
State tax treatment. Maryland imposes a state income tax plus a county "piggyback" income tax. The state has historically offered an LTC-specific non-refundable income tax credit for premiums paid on qualifying long-term care insurance policies covering Maryland residents, with eligibility rules and annual credit caps set by statute. Because the credit is subject to per-policy and lifetime limits that change from year to year, confirm current-year parameters with the Comptroller of Maryland or a Maryland-licensed CPA before relying on it.
Federal treatment. Premiums paid on a tax-qualified LTC policy count as deductible medical expenses up to the age-based limits below, per IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40, Section 3.24:
| Age at End of Tax Year | 2025 Eligible Premium Limit |
|---|---|
| 40 or under | $480 |
| 41 through 50 | $900 |
| 51 through 60 | $1,800 |
| 61 through 70 | $4,810 |
| 71 and older | $6,020 |
Closing
Because Maryland has an active Partnership Program, the structure of the policy you buy directly determines how many of your retirement assets survive a multi-year care event. The fastest next step is a side-by-side quote across the Partnership-approved carriers currently filed with the Maryland Insurance Administration — start with the form on this page.
Disclaimer
This page is educational and general in nature, not a solicitation or offer of a specific insurance product, and not tax or legal advice. Long-term care insurance availability, pricing, and underwriting vary by carrier, state, and applicant. For personalized guidance, contact a licensed specialist. For current authorized carriers in Maryland, consult the Maryland Insurance Administration.
Maryland Long Term Care Insurance FAQs
How much does long term care insurance cost in Maryland?
Premiums in Maryland depend on age at application, health, benefit amount, and inflation protection. Most Maryland residents pay between $1,500 and $4,500 per year for a comprehensive policy, and the cost is locked in when you apply. Applying earlier and in better health typically results in the lowest Maryland LTC insurance rates.
Does Maryland have a Long Term Care Partnership program?
Most states including Maryland participate in the federal/state Long Term Care Partnership program. A Partnership-qualified policy in Maryland lets you protect assets equal to the benefits your policy pays out if you ever need to apply for Medicaid, on top of the usual Medicaid asset limits. Ask your specialist whether a given carrier's policy is Partnership-certified in Maryland.
What does long term care insurance cover in Maryland?
A Maryland long term care policy typically reimburses the cost of care you receive when you cannot perform at least two activities of daily living, or when you have a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's. Covered care settings generally include home health care, adult daycare, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities located in Maryland or anywhere in the U.S.
When should I buy long term care insurance in Maryland?
Most Maryland residents who buy LTC insurance do so in their mid-50s to mid-60s, before rates rise sharply and before health conditions make coverage harder to qualify for. Buying earlier locks in lower premiums for life, while waiting risks higher costs or being declined outright.
Is long term care insurance tax deductible in Maryland?
Yes — premiums for qualified long term care insurance policies are deductible as medical expenses on your federal return, up to IRS age-based limits that are indexed annually. Maryland may offer additional state tax credits or deductions for LTC premiums; your LTC Tree specialist can confirm the current rules that apply to residents of Maryland.
Which carriers offer long term care insurance in Maryland?
LTC Tree is an independent broker and shops every major carrier licensed in Maryland, including Mutual of Omaha, Nationwide, Securian, National Guardian Life, OneAmerica, Thrivent, Lincoln Financial, and others. Each Maryland applicant's situation is different — we run rates across carriers and present the best fit for your age, health, and budget.