How To Find the Best Health Insurance in Illinois

Comparing costs and benefits from multiple providers is the best way to find an Illinois health insurance plan that meets your needs. Beginning with the 2026 plan year, Illinois residents will need to shop for health insurance on a state-run health exchange — Get Covered Illinois — rather than the federal government’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

Keep reading to learn more about health insurance options in Illinois, including what plans are the most affordable and how much coverage costs in some of the state’s biggest cities.

On This Page

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  Is Health Insurance Required in Illinois?

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  Illinois Health Insurance Rankings

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  How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in Illinois?

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  What Is the Average Cost of Health Insurance in Illinois by City?

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  Which Health Insurance Companies Are the Most Affordable in Illinois?

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  When Is Open Enrollment for Health Insurance in Illinois?

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  What Types of Health Insurance Are Available in Illinois?

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  How To Get Health Insurance in Illinois

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  FAQs

Is Health Insurance Required in Illinois?

Officially, health insurance is required by law for all taxpayers in the United States. However, the federal individual mandate penalty established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was eliminated beginning with the 2019 tax year.^[1] Illinois does not enforce its own state-level tax penalty for uninsured individuals, so coverage is optional in practice in Illinois.

Illinois Health Insurance Rankings

The Commonwealth Fund ranked Illinois 27th out of 51 in an analysis of the health care systems in each state and Washington, D.C., in 2025. Across the categories considered, Illinois received its worst rank for avoidable hospital use and cost (43rd) and its best rank for healthy lives (16th). When considering all metrics, Illinois ranked third out of five in the Great Lakes region.^[2]

Below is an overview of Illinois’ national rank in each of the dimensions analyzed by the Commonwealth Fund:^[2]

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in Illinois?

Marketplace benchmark plans cost $474 per month on average in Illinois — slightly less expensive than the nationwide average of $497 per month. On average, Illinois residents pay a monthly premium of $384 for the lowest-cost bronze plan available in the state, $468 for the lowest-cost silver plan and $534 for the lowest-cost gold plan.^[3]

Cheapest Health Insurance Options in Illinois

In Illinois, the most affordable plans through the Marketplace will typically come in the bronze and silver tiers, which have lower premiums but higher deductibles, copays and coinsurance. However, you may be better off getting a higher-tiered plan if you expect to need health care regularly. For example, suppose you suffer an injury and will be seeing doctors and specialists frequently throughout the treatment and recovery process.

In this case, it may be worth enrolling in a gold or platinum plan that requires fewer out-of-pocket costs when you receive care — in exchange for a higher monthly premium.

You should also pay attention to whether the plan you choose is a health maintenance organization (HMO) or a preferred provider organization (PPO). HMOs typically feature lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs, but their coverage options may be more restricted. Conversely, PPOs are more expensive, but they broadly cover out-of-network care and don’t require you to obtain a referral before visiting a specialist.

What Is the Average Cost of Health Insurance in Illinois by City?

In the following table, you’ll see the median monthly rate across all metal tiers for individual health insurance plans in 2025 for five major cities in Illinois. These quotes apply to 30-year-olds before taking premium tax credits into account, and they were sourced from the Health Insurance Marketplace.^[4]

Which Health Insurance Companies Are the Most Affordable in Illinois?

Blue Cross Blue Shield offers the lowest average starting rates for health insurance across Illinois, but the cheapest health insurance company can vary by city. For example, Ambetter is the most affordable health insurance carrier in Chicago, Aurora and Naperville, making it a more accessible low-cost option for a greater portion of the population of Illinois.^[5]

Below is an overview of Illinois health insurers with average monthly premiums starting below $500 — based on quotes for 40-year-olds buying silver plans.^[5]

When Is Open Enrollment for Health Insurance in Illinois?

Open enrollment begins on Nov. 1 and lasts until Jan. 15 in Illinois. You must enroll by Dec. 16 for coverage to begin on Jan. 1 — otherwise, your new plan will start on Feb. 1.^[6] While residents of Illinois could previously shop for health insurance through the federal Marketplace website at HealthCare.gov, they will instead need to use a state-run exchange called Get Covered Illinois for plans starting in 2026.^[7]

Keep in mind that you may be able to sign up for coverage outside of open enrollment if you qualify for a special enrollment period due to a major life event, like moving to a new residence, getting married or losing your job. Since Illinois now operates its own Marketplace website, residents may have access to special enrollment periods that aren’t available to all shoppers throughout the United States.

For example, you will qualify for special enrollment on Get Covered Illinois if a doctor, midwife or similar health care professional certifies that you are pregnant.^[8]

What Types of Health Insurance Are Available in Illinois?

The following types of health insurance coverage are available in Illinois:

• Marketplace health insurance
• Private coverage purchased directly from a health insurance company
• Employer-sponsored group health insurance
• Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation coverage
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — also known as All Kids in Illinois
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health benefits
• Student health insurance

How To Get Health Insurance in Illinois

To find the right health insurance plan in Illinois, you generally need to shop around and compare health insurance quotes from three to five insurance carriers so you can fully understand your coverage options. Unfortunately, this process has the potential to become tedious — especially if you gather quotes from each company one at a time.

That said, you can expedite the comparison shopping process by using an independent insurance marketplace, such as SmartFinancial. When you answer a few brief questions, we can help you sort through your options to find the health care plan that best meets your needs and budget. Click here to get free health insurance quotes today!