Health Insurance in Illinois: 2027 Marketplace Plans, Subsidies & Illinois Health Care Options

Updated for the 2027 plan year (October 2026). Figures reflect Get Covered Illinois rules, Illinois HFS Medicaid limits, and KFF data; your exact subsidy depends on your income and county.

How Illinois health insurance works in 2027

Something big changed in Illinois starting with the 2026 plan year, and it carries into 2027. Illinoisans who buy their own coverage no longer shop on the federal HealthCare.gov site — they use the state’s own exchange, Get Covered Illinois, at GetCovered.Illinois.gov. Illinois was the only state that moved to its own marketplace for 2026. Every plan sold there is still a real ACA plan: it must cover the ten essential health benefits, cannot deny you for a pre-existing condition, and cannot charge you more for being sick.

The move to a state-based marketplace is good news for most shoppers. Illinois now controls its own enrollment window, outreach, and customer support, and it used that control to give residents more time to enroll and local help to lean on. The one catch: your old HealthCare.gov login does not carry over automatically, so there is a short setup step the first time you use the new system. Start with our Health Insurance Marketplace guide to see how the exchange is structured, then come back here for the Illinois specifics. If cost is your main worry, our affordable health insurance Illinois guide lays out the 2027 income limits and savings in one place.

Get Covered Illinois: the state marketplace

Get Covered Illinois is the state’s official health insurance marketplace. It launched its full enrollment platform for 2026, so the 2027 season is its second Open Enrollment. If you had a Marketplace plan through HealthCare.gov in 2025, your coverage moved to Get Covered Illinois for 2026; if you never set up or claimed your account on the new site, do it before Open Enrollment so you can manage your plan, compare 2027 options, and update your income.

There are three practical things every Illinois shopper should know about the new exchange. First, the web address is GetCovered.Illinois.gov — that is where you apply, not HealthCare.gov. Second, Illinois sets its own Open Enrollment deadline — last season it extended enrollment to January 31, 2026 — so check Get Covered Illinois for the 2027 end date. Third, free help is built in: certified navigators and brokers across the state can walk you through enrollment at no cost, and the help line is 1-866-311-1119 (TTY 711).

Who buys their own Illinois health insurance

Marketplace coverage is built for people without a job-based plan. If you are self-employed, between jobs, working somewhere that does not offer benefits, running a small business, or aging off a parent’s plan at 26, Get Covered Illinois is almost certainly your path to coverage.

The self-employed and gig workers

Freelancers, contractors, rideshare drivers, and small-business owners are the core Marketplace audience. Your premiums may be tax-deductible, and because your income can swing year to year, you estimate it when you apply and reconcile at tax time. A mid-tier Silver plan usually balances predictable costs with real protection. See our guide on affordable health insurance for ways to lower your total cost.

Families

Families should price the whole household together. Subsidies scale with family size, and Illinois children often qualify for low-cost or free coverage through All Kids — the state’s Medicaid and CHIP program for children — even when the parents earn too much to qualify for anything free. One Get Covered Illinois application screens every member of the household at once.

Individual and private health insurance in Illinois

Individual health insurance in Illinois is a plan you buy for yourself or your family instead of getting it through a job or the government. Every individual and family plan sold in the state must follow the ACA: it covers the ten essential health benefits, can’t turn you down for a pre-existing condition, and can’t charge you more because of your health.

People searching for private health insurance in Illinois usually mean exactly this kind of plan. The insurer is a private company, even when you buy it through the state exchange. What changes is where you shop:

Get Covered Illinois is the only place to apply for the premium tax credit, so most people should start there. Off-exchange plans can make sense only if your income is above 400% of poverty, where no credit applies, and you want a plan or network not sold on the exchange. Family plans work the same way: one application covers the household, and children may be routed to All Kids. Anyone buying Illinois health insurance off-exchange gives up the credit, so compare both before you choose.

Illinois Medicaid expansion explained

Here is a fact that works in your favor: Illinois expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), adults ages 19 to 64 generally qualify for free Medicaid with income up to about 138% of the federal poverty level. Under the 2026 poverty guidelines that is $22,025 a year for an individual and $45,540 for a family of four. There is no asset test for this income-based Medicaid, so your savings or home do not count against you.

This matters because it closes the “coverage gap” that traps low-income adults in the states that did not expand. In Illinois, if your income is below the Medicaid line you get Medicaid; if it is above, you move to subsidized Marketplace coverage. When you apply through Get Covered Illinois, it automatically checks whether anyone in your household qualifies for Medicaid or All Kids and routes them to the right program. You can apply for Medicaid any time of year — there is no enrollment deadline for it.

For the full policy picture on how Illinois covers low-income residents, see KFF’s Medicaid in Illinois overview, which tracks eligibility and enrollment across the state.

Free or low-cost health insurance for adults in Illinois

Illinois free health insurance for adults generally means Medicaid, which covers adults 19 to 64 with income up to 138% of poverty at little or no cost. The Get Covered Illinois eligibility chart lists higher limits for two groups: Moms & Babies covers pregnant people up to 213% of poverty, and All Kids covers children up to 318%.

Most Illinois Medicaid members receive care through HealthChoice Illinois, the state’s managed care program. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services lists the plans on its managed care page, including CountyCare, which is offered only in Cook County. You can apply any time of year through Get Covered Illinois or the state’s ABE portal.

What changes for Illinois Medicaid in 2027

Federal law is changing the rules for expansion adults. According to HFS, adults 19 to 64 without children under 18 at home who aren’t on Medicare must meet work, school, volunteer or income rules, or qualify for an exemption, starting with renewals on or after January 1, 2027. Their renewals also move from every 12 months to every 6 months.

Some lawfully present immigrants lost federally funded Medicaid on October 1, 2026. Get Covered Illinois opened a special enrollment period for them through December 31, 2026; from January 1, 2027, premium tax credits are limited to citizens, green card holders, Cuban/Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. Anyone who loses Medicaid can move to subsidized Illinois health insurance through a special enrollment period.

2027 Illinois health insurance costs & subsidies

Your price depends on your age, county, household size, and income. Two numbers matter: the full premium and your price after the subsidy. Sticker prices for the benchmark (second-lowest-cost Silver) plan already rose sharply nationwide in 2026, and Illinois insurers proposed an average increase of about 14% for 2027 individual plans (proposed, subject to state review). Most Illinois enrollees still pay far less after the premium tax credit, and the large majority who qualify receive one.

One federal change still affects Illinois. The enhanced premium tax credits in place from 2021 through 2025 expired on December 31, 2025 and were not extended for 2027. Subsidies still exist under the original ACA rules, but they are smaller, and the 400%-of-poverty “subsidy cliff” applies to 2027 coverage — earn a dollar over the line and the credit disappears entirely. In 2026, KFF found subsidized enrollees’ net premium payments more than doubled on average (about +114%) nationwide. If your premium jumped last year and rises again for 2027, that is why, and it is exactly when comparing plans pays off.

Rough 2027 income reference points for subsidy eligibility: about $63,840 for an individual, $86,560 for a couple, and $132,000 for a family of four mark the 400%-of-poverty line where the cliff applies. Two subsidies can work together: the premium tax credit lowers your monthly premium, and cost-sharing reductions (Silver plans only, for incomes up to 250% of poverty) quietly lower your deductible and copays. For the full breakdown, see our 2027 subsidies guide. Many Illinoisans who think they earn too much still qualify — it is worth checking rather than assuming.

Metal tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold & Platinum

Every ACA plan carries a metal tier that describes how you and the insurer split costs. A lower tier means a lower premium but a higher deductible — the amount you pay before coverage kicks in. The tier that is cheapest on premium is rarely the cheapest once you actually use care.

A Bronze plan with a rock-bottom premium can still cost you thousands if you break a leg, while a Silver plan that costs a little more each month may cap that bill far lower. If you take regular prescriptions or expect to use care, the “more expensive” plan is often the cheapest once the year is done. Our guide on how to choose a health plan walks through matching a tier to your real needs.

Short-term and temporary health insurance in Illinois

Short-term health insurance can’t be sold to Illinois residents. Since January 1, 2025, Illinois law (Public Act 103-0649) has barred insurers from issuing, renewing or extending short-term, limited-duration plans for anyone living in the state, as the Illinois Department of Insurance explains. That includes plans sold through out-of-state groups or associations.

For how short-term plans work in states that still allow them, and better options if you need temporary coverage, see our short-term health insurance guide.

The state ban applies regardless of federal policy. The 2024 federal rule limits short-term plans to a three-month initial term and four months in total; in August 2025 the federal agencies said they would not prioritize enforcing that definition while they revisit it, and they let states keep applying their own rules. Illinois law still prohibits these plans.

Short-term plans were never a fit for people with health conditions: they can exclude pre-existing conditions, skip essential benefits and don’t qualify for subsidies. If you need temporary health insurance in Illinois between jobs or after missing Open Enrollment, look at these instead:

• A special enrollment period after losing job coverage, moving, marrying, having a baby or becoming pregnant (Illinois added pregnancy as a qualifying event).
• Medicaid or All Kids, which accept applications all year.
• COBRA to keep a former employer’s plan, usually at full cost.
• Tax Time Easy Enrollment: check the health insurance box on your IL-1040 to get an eligibility notice and 60 days to enroll if eligible.

Excepted-benefit products such as hospital indemnity or travel insurance are still sold. They pay limited benefits and are not a substitute for Illinois health insurance that meets ACA rules. To report someone selling short-term coverage, call the Department at 866-445-5364.

How to enroll in Illinois health insurance

Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage begins November 1, 2026 — check Get Covered Illinois for the final deadline. Last season Get Covered Illinois extended enrollment to January 31, 2026, about two weeks past the federal January 15 cutoff. To be safe, enroll by mid-December 2026 for a January 1, 2027 start. Outside Open Enrollment you need a Special Enrollment Period, triggered by a life event such as losing job-based coverage, moving, marriage, or a new baby. Missed the window entirely? Illinois also runs a Tax Time Easy Enrollment program during tax season.

1. Gather your details. Household size, your ZIP code, and your best estimate of 2027 income.
2. Set up your Get Covered Illinois account. Go to GetCovered.Illinois.gov and claim or create your account — your old HealthCare.gov login does not transfer.
3. Apply and get screened. One application checks everyone in your household for Medicaid, All Kids, and premium tax credits.
4. Compare plans by total cost. Weigh premium against deductible and confirm your doctors and prescriptions are covered — networks vary by Illinois county.
5. Enroll and pay your first premium. Coverage is not active until that first payment clears.

Illinois cities: local health insurance guides

Statewide rules are the same everywhere, but hospital networks, safety-net programs and local help differ by county. Our city guides cover the details:

• Health insurance in Chicago: Cook County Health’s CareLink program for uninsured adults, CountyCare, the city’s academic medical centers and community health centers.
• Health insurance in Rockford: Winnebago County hospitals, moving across the Wisconsin line, and local clinic and enrollment help.

How Honesty helps Illinoisans compare plans

Get Covered Illinois shows you dozens of plans but will not tell you which one is truly best for your family, doctors, and budget. That is what Honesty does. We are a consumer-first marketplace that compares ACA, alternative, and ancillary plans side by side, and Honesty.AI — our patented, licensed, unbiased AI insurance agent — reads every available option, checks Medicaid and All Kids, applies your subsidy, and ranks your real choices based on your family’s needs.

Honesty is on your side. We are unbiased among carriers — we never earn more by steering you to one insurer — and openly biased in your favor, because we work for you, not the companies. Help is omnichannel and available 24/7 by chat, voice, or text, and Honesty.AI can complete your enrollment in minutes. Honesty® Insurance Services is licensed in Illinois, so a licensed human is always behind the technology.

Privacy is a headline promise, not fine print. We never sell or share your data, and there are no spam calls — the opposite of the lead-generation sites that collect your information and auction it to a dozen agents. Honesty uses bank-level encryption and follows PCI and CCPA standards. Honesty Is Your Best Policy®.

Frequently asked questions

Keep learning: Affordable health insurance in Illinois · Chicago · Rockford · Special Enrollment Period · Health Insurance Marketplace guide · Affordable health insurance · 2027 subsidies explained · Open Enrollment 2027 · How to choose a health plan