Maryland lawmakers and healthcare advocates are pushing the General Assembly to extend a program that subsidizes healthcare for young people in the state.

The subsidies are available to people 18 to 37 who made up to 400% of the federal poverty level.

The program discounts premiums to make health insurance more affordable.

“Sixty seven thousand altogether have benefited,” said Vincent DeMarco, president of Maryland Healthcare for All! a health advocacy organization. “These are young people, many of them minorities, many of them people who are have low paying jobs, who can't afford health care, who now have the health care coverage they need. And we need to continue this, this program.”

The pilot program started in 2022, but expires in 2025.

New legislation would extend the policy into 2028.

“When more young adults purchase health coverage, it is good for everybody because it helps stabilize health insurance premiums for all other age groups purchasing coverage through the state’s online insurance marketplace,” said Senator Clarence Lam, the lead sponsor of the 2025 legislation. “We will make this a priority to extend the program in the next legislative session.”

Maryland’s new legislative session starts Jan. 8, 2025.