2027 · Under 65
Illinois health insurance options
Compare Illinois coverage choices, starting with Get Covered Illinois.
Educational only; not an Illinois insurance offer. Illinois bans short-term plans. Use certified Marketplace help.
Your Illinois options
Start with Get Covered Illinois, the official Marketplace for Illinois. Its site says enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1.
Marketplace ACA plan (Get Covered Illinois)
Comprehensive coverage with ACA protections. Fits most people without job-based coverage and is the only way to use tax credits. Key limit: enrollment is mainly during Open Enrollment or a Special Enrollment Period.
Off-exchange ACA plan
The same ACA-compliant coverage bought directly from a carrier or broker. Can fit people who won't get a tax credit. Key limit: no tax credit applies, and plans and networks can differ.
Job, spouse or COBRA coverage
Group coverage through your job, a spouse's job, or continued through COBRA. Fits people with an offer or recent job loss. Key limit: an affordable job offer can block Marketplace tax credits.
Medicaid and All Kids
Public coverage for people who qualify by income and other rules, with year-round enrollment. Fits lower-income households and children. Key limit: eligibility rules vary by state, and Get Covered Illinois screens for it.
Short-term insurance: not allowed in Illinois
Illinois bans short-term plan sales and renewals since January 1, 2025, including out-of-state groups and associations. Branded products such as TriTerm are short-term plans, not exemptions. Compare ACA, job-based or public coverage instead.
Not an option in Illinois.
Official source
Not comprehensive coverage
Fixed-indemnity and supplemental policies
Pay set dollar amounts for specific events or services. Can help alongside major medical. Key limit: not comprehensive coverage, and combining several policies does not recreate ACA protections.
Not major medical. Do not use as a replacement for comprehensive coverage.
Get free official help
For enrollment and personal help, use Get Covered Illinois and its free certified local help.
Last updated October 31, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this guide. Comparing another state? Use the state options finder.
How Illinois health insurance works for 2027
If you live in Illinois and don't have job-based coverage, start with Get Covered Illinois. Illinois uses its own state marketplace, not HealthCare.gov. Its site lets you preview plans now and says enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1. Check there for the deadline that applies to the start date you want.
Premium tax credits are available only for plans bought through Get Covered Illinois, and only if you qualify based on projected 2027 household income and other rules. An off-exchange ACA plan is still comprehensive coverage with ACA protections, but no tax credit applies.
Unlike many states, Illinois prohibits short-term, limited-duration insurance. The Illinois Department of Insurance says it cannot be sold or renewed starting January 1, 2025, including policies offered through out-of-state groups or associations.
Compare covered benefits, networks, cost-sharing and exclusions alongside the premium.
Educational only. This page is not an offer to sell insurance in Illinois, and Depke Insurance Agency is not presenting itself as licensed, appointed or certified to help with Illinois enrollment. For enrollment and personal help, use Get Covered Illinois and its free certified local help.
What about TriTerm, MedMutual Protect and Health ProtectorGuard?
TriTerm is described by its carrier as short-term medical insurance. Because Illinois bans short-term coverage, it is not an Illinois option.
Health ProtectorGuard is described as limited fixed-indemnity insurance. It pays set dollar amounts for covered services or events. It is not comprehensive major medical and does not have an ACA out-of-pocket limit.
MedMutual Protect lists several separate individual supplemental products. It is a group of products, not one universal plan.
You are not required to buy any combination of these products. Stacking supplemental or fixed-indemnity policies does not recreate ACA protections. Whether any product is available to a specific Illinois resident depends on the carrier, the product and eligibility, and this page does not claim any of them is.
Illinois steps for common situations
Renewing for 2027
- Log in to Get Covered Illinois and update your projected 2027 household size and income.
- Preview plans and compare net premium AND the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
- Verify doctors, hospitals and prescriptions for 2027.
- Read exclusions and caps on any supplemental product you are offered.
- Confirm the effective date and pay the first premium before ending current coverage.
Moving to or from Illinois
A permanent move can create a Special Enrollment Period. Moving into Illinois means applying through Get Covered Illinois, not HealthCare.gov. Moving out means ending your Illinois plan and applying in your new state's marketplace, timed so there's no gap.
Losing job-based coverage in Illinois
Losing employer coverage usually opens a Special Enrollment Period on Get Covered Illinois. Compare it with COBRA, especially during treatment. Short-term coverage is not a bridge option in Illinois. See COBRA vs. the Marketplace for how to compare.
Questions to ask before you buy any Illinois policy
- Is this plan ACA-compliant major medical, or a supplemental or fixed-indemnity product?
- What is the annual out-of-pocket maximum, and is there one?
- Are there per-day, per-visit or lifetime caps on what the policy pays?
- Are pre-existing conditions excluded or subject to a waiting period?
- Are my doctors, hospitals and prescriptions covered for 2027?
- Does this plan qualify for a tax credit, and am I buying it through Get Covered Illinois?
- When does coverage start, and when is the first premium due?
Official Illinois resources
- Get Covered Illinois: plan previews, enrollment, financial help and certified local help.
- Find certified local help: the official Get Covered Illinois page for free certified local help.
- Illinois Department of Insurance short-term FAQ: the prohibition on selling or renewing short-term plans.
- Illinois Department of Insurance: consumer help and complaints.
- HealthCare.gov ACA protections: what ACA-compliant plans must include.
Frequently asked questions
Sources reviewed October 31, 2026: Get Covered Illinois, Illinois DOI short-term FAQ, HealthCare.gov renewal choices, HealthCare.gov ACA protections, UnitedHealthOne TriTerm, UnitedHealthOne fixed-benefit insurance, MedMutual Protect individual products.
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