Free help with health insurance
Partner of Maryland Health Connection, Maryland’s official health insurance marketplace, AHEC West is here to help you enroll in a private plan or Medicaid, and see if you can get financial help to lower your costs.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, all appointments will be phone or online appointments. No in-person appointments at this time.
To schedule a weekday appointment:
To schedule an evening appointment:
Call The Location
Nearest You:
WASHINGTON COUNTY
301-302-0052
GARRETT COUNTY
301-501-5700
ALLEGANY COUNTY
301-723-7093
TOLL FREE
1-888-202-0212
TTY/MARYLAND RELAY SERVICE
711
Enroll through Our Mobile App:
Click On The Topics Below For
Resources and Information
Keeping & Understanding Your Insurance
Videos
Applying for Health Insurance
Community Links
Know Your Rights!
Meet Our Team
Allyson
David
Brady
Lisa
Carol
Tony
Nefertiti
How To Videos
Open Enrollment!
| The Team
Website Tour
| Brady Watson
Getting Ready to Apply
| Carol Morgan
How To Contact Us
| Brady Watson
Shop for Insurance, Get an Estimate.
| David Stewart
How to Read the Financial Help Overview Sheet
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 0: Introduction
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 1: Getting Ready
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 2: Why Pay a Higher Premium?
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 3: Out of Pocket Limits/Deductible
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 4: Copays & Coinsurance
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 5: Bronze Plans
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 6: Silver Plans
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 7: Gold Plans
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 8: Summing Up
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 9: Usage Scenario Washington County
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 10: Usage Scenario Allegany/Garrett Counties
| David Stewart
Picking a Plan Part 11: Networks
| David Stewart
Information
Health Insurance Explained
Understanding Health Insurance
Maryland Health Connection?
Immigrant Health Insurance Eligibility
UPDATE: American Rescue Plan & ACA
Who Gets Financial Help?
Tax Credits?
Cost Sharing Reductions?
Why Did My Premium Change?
The Family Glitch?
My Work Offers Insurance. Can I Get Financial Help?
Find Free Help to File Taxes
- Use this link to find a location by zip code
File Your Federal Taxes for Free
- If you make under $64,000 per year, you can file your Federal taxes for FREE
Health Coverage and Your Federal Taxes
- Everything you need to know
Tips To Avoid Unnecessary APTC Repayment
- Tips to help determine your APTC repayment
Health Insurance University
My Health, My Voice
- Designed for women
- Spanish available
- Downloadable Guide
-
What’s Services are Covered?
- List of services covered
How Cost-Sharing Reductions Save You Money
- Cost-sharing reductions (CSR) lower your out-of-pocket costs
- They can reduce your deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance amounts
How Tax Credits Save You Money
- Tax credits help you save money
- Most people qualify for tax credits
Using Your Health Insurance
- Fact sheet
Using Medicaid or MCHP
- Fact sheet
Health Insurance Explained – The YouToons Have It Covered
- How health insurance works
- Explains things like deductibles, co-pays and out-of-pocket maximums
Understanding Your Health Insurance Costs | Consumer Reports
- Focuses on what you pay when using your insurance
More Videos
- More health insurance videos
- Recommended by Maryland Health Connection
- English and Spanish
From Coverage to Care
- Documents & videos to help you understand and use your insurance
- Several different languages
Appeals & Complaints
Appeals
- List of decisions you can appeal
- Instructions on how to appeal
Health Education Advocacy Unit
- Part of the Attorney General’s office
- Will investigate your concerns
- Can mediate between the Marketplace, insurance company and you
Maryland Insurance Administration – Complaint
- Makes sure that insurance companies obey the law
- Can help with claim denials
Maryland Legal Aid
- Help if you have been denied tax credits for health insurance and other health-related benefits
Getting Health Insurance Outside of Open Enrollment
Find out if you can enroll right now
- See if you qualify
- “Special Enrollment Periods” make it possible to get insurance outside of open enrollment
- Medicaid enrollment is available year-round
Getting Ready to Apply
Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) Explained
- This is the financial help that lowers your premium payments if you qualify for it
Getting Ready Check List
- Items and information you need to be ready to enroll
MHBE Financial Help Chart
- Use this to see if you qualify for financial help
Verifying Your Information
- A list of documents that you can use to prove what you put in your application
Get Answers from Maryland Health Connection
- Takes you to the list of frequently asked questions
- Organized by topics
Maryland Health Connection Fact Sheets
- All of Maryland’s downloadable fact sheets
- Many different topics
How to Estimate Your Income
List of Documents That Can Verify Your Income
- Use this when asked to provide more information to verify your income or other information
- Make sure to provide the information as soon as possible
Income Calculator
- Online tool you can use to calculate your income
What Income Should I Include?
- Detailed instructions
Income & Family Size Fact Sheet
- Downloadable
State-Wide and Regional
Health Education and Advocacy Unit
- Refused coverage for a medical procedure or payment for a medical service?
- Need help resolving a billing dispute?
- Need help with defective medical equipment?
- Denied enrollment in a Qualified Health Plan or denied Advanced Premium Tax Credits or Cost-Sharing Reductions by Maryland Health Connection?
Maryland 211
- Health and human service resources
- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- 180 languages
Maryland Legal Aid
Maryland Legal Aid provides a full range of FREE civil legal services to financially qualified Marylanders and people over 60 from 12 offices and 3 District Court Self-Help Centers around the state. Maryland Legal Aid handles civil, not criminal, cases.
Network of Care
- Veterans and their families
- A one-stop shop for services, information, support and advocacy
Allegany County
Community Resource Guide
- A phone directory for multiple services available in Allegany County and the surrounding areas
- Covers many different types of services
Tri-State Community Health Center
Since 1987, Tri-State Community Health Center has been providing affordable, high quality health services to area residents. Tri-State currently serves almost 20,000 people in the region. We feature board certified Family Practice and OB/GYN Physicians, Nurse Practioners and Physician Assistants.
Prescribe Change Allegany County
- Get help now
- What is an opioid?
- Know the signs
- Dispose of medications
- State and local statistics
Allegany County Health Department
Programs to promote physical, behavioral, and environmental health, and prevent disease and disabilities.
Health Right
Allegany Health Right’s mission is to increase access to emergent dental care for low-income, uninsured or underinsured adults in Allegany County.
AlleganySpeaks.com
- A place to voice your ideas for a healthier Allegany County
Allegany County Health Department
- Addiction services
UPMC Western Maryland
Our facilities offer a comprehensive range of general and specialty services for medical, surgical, pediatric, geriatric and obstetrical patients. Sophisticated diagnostic testing services and state-of-the-art procedures are now available in one centralized location that is convenient to everyone in the tri-state area.
Human Resources Development Commission
Family Crisis Resource Center
FCRC’s mission is to assist victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, child abuse, and stalking and to reduce these crimes in our community.
Garrett County
Garrett County Health Department
The recognized Public Health Agency in Garrett County, MD. We strive to provide the highest level of care and service.
Mountain Laurel Medical Center
To provide quality, safe, accessible, evidence based primary health care, wellness promotions, and education to all individuals in Garrett County and surrounding areas in a patient centered manner regardless of insurance status.
Garrett County Community Action
GCCAC works with partners to build a stronger community and to provide services that improve the quality of life for residents in Garrett County. Its activities and projects focus on strategies that assist low-income persons to be more self sufficient.
Garrett County Lighthouse
Provides personalized psychiatric rehabilitation services to those with serious and persistent mental illness through empowerment and integration into community resources while advocating for clients’ personal growth through ethical practice.
Dove Center
The Dove Center provides safety, advocacy, and counseling to individuals whose lives have been shattered by domestic violence and/or sexual assault, and strives to expand public awareness of those issues.
Garrett County Health Department
- Substance Use Disorder Program
Garrett Regional Medical Center
Garrett Regional Medical Center is a 55-bed, not-for-profit, acute care facility with a long history of serving the health care needs of Garrett County, Maryland and the surrounding communities in West Virginia.
MyGarrettCounty.org
- Collaborate with your neighbors to improve local health
- Local health news and events
Drug Free Garrett County
- News and information about the efforts to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth
Washington County
Project Act Now Washington County
- Opioid misuse prevention
- Know the signs and facts
- Get help now
Washington County Health Department
- Substance abuse treatment
- Substance abuse prevention
Family Health Care
Family Healthcare is a private, non-profit community health center providing quality healthcare services for families at every life stage in Washington County and the surrounding areas.
Tri-State Community Health Center
Since 1987, Tri-State Community Health Center has been providing affordable, high quality health services to area residents. Tri-State currently serves almost 20,000 people in the region. We feature board certified Family Practice and OB/GYN Physicians, Nurse Practioners and Physician Assistants.
Washington County Health Department
Provides multiple health-related services to county residents.
Community Action Council
Our goal is to help people achieve self-sufficiency. We utilize a broad spectrum of tools that do more than just meet immediate needs – they equip individuals and families with the information, education, and most importantly, confidence needed to become financially independent, productive members of the community.
Commission on Aging
Helps seniors and those with a disability regardless of age and caregivers with ongoing services including Medicaid waiver, a senior health insurance program and benefits screening as well as various other programs.
Meritus Health
Meritus Health is a community focused, not-for-profit health care system serving the residents of Washington County and western Maryland, southern Pennsylvania and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia.
REACH
Faith-based organizaiton that operates a year-round Day Resource Center for county residents facing housing crises or other urgent needs; runs a Cold Weather Shelter for homeless adults; and has a 24-Hour Crisis program to address urgent housing needs.
Citizens Assisting And Sheltering The Abused
Provides services and education that promote physical and emotional safety, foster growth, and empowers individuals, families and communities involved in domestic violence and sexual assault/abuse.
- 24-HR hotline: 301-739-8975
- TTY: 301-739-1012
We Do Not Discriminate/Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse
Civil Rights Statement
- Who to contact
- How to contact
- How to file a complaint
Online Civil Rights Complaint
- File a complaint online
- Explains how complaints work
Paper Civil Rights Complaint Form
- Paper version can be mailed or faxed
- Instructions included
If you believe you have uncovered any fraud, waste or abuse on the part of AHEC West or any of our partners; we encourage you to contact us at 301-777-9150 ext. 115. You can remain anonymous and all complaints will be taken seriously and investigated.
You can also use an online form to make your complaint by clicking here.
