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Maryland State Resources

 

This page has information specific to this state, including contact information for federal and state agencies, and some key information about laws and consumer protections. Sometimes, state laws are more protective than federal law. For more information on this state's specific laws (e.g., on employment or health insurance), visit Triage Health's Charts of State Laws.

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Advocacy

Disability Insurance

Federal Disability Programs

Private Disability Insurance

  • You can also purchase short-term and/or long-term disability insurance directly from a private insurance company or this type of insurance may be offered by your employer as an employee benefit. See our Quick Guide to Long-Term Disability Insurance for more information.

Employment

Federal Fair Employment

  • The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. For more information about the EEOC, including how to file a complaint, visit the EEOC's website, call 800.669.4000, or email info@eeoc.gov.
  • The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, that provides free, expert, and confidential guidance on job accommodations and disability employment issues. They also have several resources on how to approach an employer to request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and a Searchable Online Accommodation Resource where individuals can find suggested accommodations based on job duties or limitations that they are experiencing. For more information, visit the JAN website, call 800.526.7234, or email jan@AskJAN.org.

State Fair Employment

  • To learn more about your state's fair employment laws, including information about discrimination in the workplace and how to file a complaint, visit the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, or call 800.637.6247 or 410.767.8600.

State Unemployment

Vocational Rehabilitation

  • Your state's Vocational Rehabilitation agency provides vocational rehabilitation services that are designed to help job seekers with disabilities obtain competitive employment in integrated work settings. For more information on their services, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, visit the Maryland State Department of Education Division of Rehabilitation Services website (DORS), or call 410.554.9442 or 888.554.0334.

More Information

Employment - Taking Time Off

Federal Leave Laws

State Family & Medical Leave (for self & for caregivers)

  • The Maryland Time to Care Act of 2022 was passed in 2022 creating the Family and Medical Leave Insurance program. It went into effect January 1, 2023, with benefits available starting on January 1, 2026.
    • Who’s eligible? An employee who has worked at least 680 hours over the past 12-month period. Self-employed individuals can opt into the program.
    • Who can be cared for? Paid Family and Medical Leave can be taken to care for a family member with a serious health condition or manage one’s own serious health condition. Family member includes a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling.
    • How much time is given? 12 weeks.
    • How much is paid? Benefits are calculated based on the state weekly average. For individuals whose weekly wage is less than 65% of the state average, they will receive 90% of their wage. For individuals whose weekly wage is greater than 65% of the state average, the law provides an individualized calculation. The minimum amount paid is $100/week, with the maximum being $1,000 in 2026. The maximum amount will be adjusted in subsequent years.
    • How do I apply? Available January 2026

State Paid Family Leave (for caregivers)

  • Starting July 1, 2026, caregivers in Maryland may take time off to provide care as described above through the Family and Medical Leave Insurance program.

State Paid Sick Leave (for self)

  • Maryland passed the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act, effective February 11, 2018. The law covers employers with 15 or more employees; employers with less than 15 employees are required to allow employees to accrue sick time but it does not have to be paid. Under Maryland law, employees must earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked; however, an employee cannot use more than 40 hours of paid sick leave in a year. Any unused, accrued hours roll over to the next year, however, an employee is not allowed to accrue more than 64 hours of paid leave.
  • More information about Maryland's paid sick leave law
  • Some states have kinship laws that allow you to use your sick leave to care for a child.

State Paid General Leave (for any reason)

  • Some states provide general paid leave. Maryland does not currently have a general paid leave law.

State Bone Marrow Donation Leave

  • Some states provide leave to donate bone marrow. Maryland has a law allowing state employees to take up to 7 days of leave in a 12 month period for organ donation. There is not currently a organ donation leave law for other public and private employees in Maryland.

County & Local Leave

  • In some states, some cities and counties have additional leave laws.

Workplace Leave Policies or Employment Contracts

  • Everyone’s situation is different. Check your employee handbook, your workplace policies, and/or your employment contract (if you have one) to see whether you are eligible to take paid or unpaid time off from work.

More Information

Estate Planning

Triage Health's free State-Specific Estate Planning Toolkit includes information about estate planning in general, and information about Maryland estate planning documents, and the specific forms you need.

Finances

For information on financial assistance resources, you can visit our Financial Assistance Resources module. You can then pick from the different categories of financial assistance, to find organizations that may provide financial help to you. Think creatively. For example, if you cannot find anything to help with your medical bills, you may qualify for utility assistance and shift the money you had dedicated to utilities to your medical bills.

Health

Marketplace

  • For information about options for buying health insurance from private insurance companies, as well as whether you are eligible for marketplace financial assistance, visit the Maryland Health Connection website or call 855.642.8572.

COBRA

  • COBRA provides a way for workers and their families to temporarily maintain their employer-provided health insurance during situations such as job loss or a reduction in hours worked. If you have questions about COBRA, visit the Employee Benefits Security Administration website.

State COBRA

Children's Health Insurance

  • Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (855.642.8572), which provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
  • Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.

Other Insurance Options

  • To apply for an Independent Medical Review (an external appeal of a health plan denial) or to file a Consumer Complaint about your health plan, visit the Maryland Insurance Department website.
  • If your health insurance company has denied coverage for your care, you can appeal that decision. The process depends on the type of health insurance that you have.
  • If you have private health insurance (e.g., through an employer or the Marketplace), you can also file an external appeal with an entity outside of your insurance company, to see if the insurance company is required to cover your care. The external review process is either handled by the state’s insurance agency or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Visit our Chart of State Laws on Health Insurance Coverage & Navigation to see who runs the external appeals process in your state.
  • Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS. For information about Medicare, to create a personal account where you can view your Medicare information, and to learn about plan options, visit Medicare.gov, or call 800.MEDICARE (800.633.4227)
  • Download a copy of Medicare's handbook, “Medicare & You.”
  • For help navigating Medicare, contact the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), 800.243.3425.
  • For more information, visit Triage Health's Medicare Resources.
  • Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage to eligible individuals, including people with low-incomes, families, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Each state has its own rules for eligibility. Read Triage Health's Quick Guide to Medicaid to learn more.
  • Visit this site to learn more about Medicaid benefits in your state.

Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, & Treatment (EPSDT)

  • The EPSDT benefit is a Medicaid benefit available to individuals under the age of 21.
  • States are required to provide comprehensive services needed to correct and ameliorate health conditions, including:
    • Early: Assess and identify problems early, starting at birth
    • Periodic: Check children’s health at periodic, age-appropriate intervals in comprehensive well-child visits, including health education
    • Screening: Provide physical, dental, mental, developmental, hearing, vision, and other screening or laboratory tests to detect potential problems
    • Diagnosis: Perform diagnostic tests and assessments to follow up when a risk is identified during screening and examinations
    • Treatment: Control, correct, or ameliorate any problems that are found
  • States are required to provide any additional health care services that are coverable under the federal Medicaid program and found to be medically necessary to treat, correct or reduce illnesses and conditions discovered regardless of whether the service is covered in a state's Medicaid plan. State Medicaid agencies are required to:
    • Inform all Medicaid-eligible individuals under age 21 that EPSDT services are available and of the need for age-appropriate immunizations;
    • Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with transportation to medical care.
    • Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with scheduling appointments for EPSDT visits and services.
  • Learn more about your state's program.

Coverage for Children

  • Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (855.642.8572), which provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
  • Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.

In-Home Support Services (IHSS)

More Medicaid Resources

  • For a list of Hill-Burton Federally Funded Health Centers that are obligated to provide free or reduced-cost health care, visit the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) website.
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are community-based health care providers that provide primary care services in underserved areas. To search for an FQHC in your state, use the Find a Health Center tool on the HRSA website.
  • To find a community clinic in your area: screenings and services in your area, visit the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics website.
  • The National Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services to women who have low incomes and are uninsured or underinsured. For more information about screenings and services in your area, use the CDC search tool.
  • The Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP) provides cancer treatment benefits to eligible low-income individuals diagnosed with breast and/or cervical cancer.

Women's Health & Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)

Privacy

State Clinical Trials Law

  • Md. Ins. Code Ann. §15-827
  • Who must cover the costs? Private insurers and other specified managed care organizations
  • What must be covered? Treatment that is being provided in a Phase I, II, III, or IV clinical trial for either cancer or other life-threatening conditions
  • Requirements for Coverage: The facility or personnel providing the experimental treatment must be experienced and a superior, non-investigational alternative must not exist. Data related to the clinical trial must provide a reasonable expectation that the treatment will be at least as effective as the non-investigational alternative.
  • Qualifying Trials: The trial must be approved by either: (1) NIH, (2) NIH cooperative group, (3) U.S. F.D.A. in the form of an investigational new drug application, (4) U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or (5) a state IRB.

(Last updated 8/2022) 

More Health Insurance Resources

Housing

Legal Assistance

Transportation

  • Local transit systems may provide free or discounted rates for low-income individuals and families. Some cities also offer bus passes, vouchers for taxi or ride-sharing services, or shuttle services for patients traveling to cancer treatments.
  • Dial 211 for assistance.
  • For more information on financial assistance resources, visit our Financial Assistance Resources module.