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Home > States > Health insurance in Illinois

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Illinois Health Insurance Consumer Guide

Illinois runs a partnership exchange with the federal government. The state operates Get Covered Illinois, which has a website, in-person help, and a help desk,1 but Illinois residents use the federally-run HealthCare.gov platform to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plans.

But starting in the fall of 2025, for coverage effective in 2026, Illinois will have its own state-run enrollment platform.

Use this guide to help you understand the Illinois Marketplace and choose the right health plan for you and your family. ACA Marketplace plans – or Obamacare or exchange – are affordable choices for many people. Enrolling on the exchange may make you eligible for financial assistance through an advance premium tax credit.

Explore our other comprehensive guides to coverage in Alaska

Dental coverage in Illinois

In 2023, ten insurers offer stand-alone individual/family dental coverage through the health insurance marketplace in Illinois.2 Learn about other dental coverage options in the state.

Medicaid in Illinois

Illinois expanded Medicaid eligibility under the ACA in 2014.3 By April 2023, the number of people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP in Illinois was over 3.8 million.4

Medicare coverage options and enrollment in Illinois

As of April 2023, over 2.3 million people in Illinois have Medicare coverage.5 If you’re curious about signing up for Medicare in Illinois or want to know about the state’s Medigap rules, our guide has you covered.

Short-term coverage in Illinois

In 2018, Illinois passed a law that restricts short-term health plans to six months and bans any renewals. As of 2023, there were at least nine insurers offering short-term health insurance policies in the state:6

Frequently asked questions about health insurance in Illinois

Who can buy Marketplace health insurance?

You can buy a health plan through the exchange if:7

Qualification for financial assistance, including premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions (CSR), depends on your income and how it compares with the cost of the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your area. This can vary based on where you live and your age. Moreover, to be eligible for financial aid for your Marketplace plan, you must:

When can I enroll in an ACA-compliant plan in Illinois?

In Illinois, open enrollment for ACA Marketplace individual and family health coverage is from November 1 through January 15.9 

You can sign up for an exchange plan — or make changes to your coverage — outside of open enrollment if you meet special enrollment period (SEP) requirements.10 This generally means you must have a qualifying life event, such as losing your health insurance, getting married, or having a baby.

But some special enrollment periods don’t require a specific qualifying event. So if the open enrollment deadline has passed and you haven’t experienced a qualifying event, you may still be able to sign up for an ACA plan. For example:

For those who lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage between March 31, 2023 and July 31, 2024, an extended SEP allows you to enroll anytime during that window.13

Illinois legislation (HB5142) was enacted in 2022 that created an easy enrollment program, which became available as of early 2023, when 2022 tax returns were being filed.

For the time being, Illinois cannot offer a special enrollment period for marketplace plans in conjunction with the easy enrollment program, because using the federally-run exchange means there cannot be state-specific SEP opportunities. That will change as of 2026, when Illinois is running its own exchange platform.

For now, Illinois residents can indicate on their state tax return whether they’d like their information to be shared with applicable state agencies (This is Step 12 on the 2022 Illinois state tax return).

If the person is found to be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, the state can notify them and help them enroll, since those programs have year-round enrollment.14

How do I enroll in a Marketplace plan in Illinois?

Here are the main ways to enroll in a Marketplace health plan in Illinois:

How can I find affordable health insurance in Illinois?

Individuals and families who enroll in Marketplace coverage in Illinois can take advantage of two different types of income-based financial assistance:

Medicaid: Illinois residents may qualify for affordable Medicaid coverage if eligible.

Short-Term Health Insurance: For people who are not eligible for subsidies, Medicare, or Medicaid, short-term health insurance may offer a more budget-friendly option.

How many insurers offer Marketplace coverage in Illinois?

Twelve insurers are offering exchange plans in Illinois for 2024, up from 11 in 2023.19

Aetna Life Insurance is the new insurer that joined the exchange in Illinois for 2024 (Aetna Health already offered plans; there are now two Aetna entities). The Illinois Department of Insurance also noted that as of 2024, SSM Health Plan changed its name to Medica Central Health Plan.20

Are Marketplace health insurance premiums increasing in Illinois?

Illinois has historically had very little transparency in terms of rate filing details for health plans, and state regulators have not had the authority to modify or reject rate changes proposed by insurers. But that will change as of the 2025 plan year (for rates filed in 2024), due to a new law that was enacted in 2023 (some provisions of the law will be phased in the following year).21

Illinois’ individual/family market insurers implemented the following average rate increases for 2024,22 amounting to a weighted average rate increase of 5.7% before any subsidies are applied:23

Illinois’ ACA Marketplace Plan 2024 Approved Rate Increases by Insurance Company

Source: HealthCare.gov24

For perspective, here’s how average individual/family health insurance premiums have changed in Illinois over the years (note that in Illinois, average rate changes have often been published based on rate changes for the lowest-cost plan at each metal level, rather than overall rate changes, which differs from how this information has typically been presented in other states. And weighted averages have not typically been available in Illinois, due to the lack of transparency in the rate filing process. This should change in future years, under the terms of the state’s new law.)

How many people are insured through Illinois’ Marketplace?

398,814 people signed up for private health coverage through the Illinois exchange during the open enrollment period for 2024 coverage, up from about 342,000 the year before.34 This marked the highest enrollment Illinois has ever had; the previous record high came in 2016, when about 388,000 people enrolled.35

Enrollment over time in the Illinois Marketplace is illustrated in the chart below. The increase in recent years is due in large part to the subsidy enhancements provided by the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act. The increase for 2024 is also partially driven by the return to normal disenrollments for the Medicaid program, which was paused for three years during the pandemic.

Source: 2014,36 2015,37 2016,35 2017,38 2018,39 2019,40 2020,41 2021,42 2022,43 202344

What health insurance resources are available to Illinois residents?

HealthCare.gov Premium tax credits are available only through the ACA Marketplace. 

Illinois Department of Insurance The Illinois Department of Insurance regulates individual, small-group, and large-group health plans in the state (excluding self-insured ones). They also regulate brokers and agents selling private health insurance. 

Illinois Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Contact them for assistance with Medicare questions. 

Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services A ssistance with Medicaid eligibility or enrollment in Illinois and with All Kids , the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Family Care , the state’s Medicaid coverage for parents with minor children.

Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org.

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