Illinois Launches State-Based Insurance Marketplace 'Get Covered Illinois

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ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Residents of Illinois who rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidized insurance plans are about to face a significant hike in premiums. However, a state-run marketplace is poised to offer fresh avenues for finding cost-effective plans.

While the ACA is often associated with healthcare.gov, the federal platform, Illinois has opted to create its own state-specific system. Officials assert that this approach will streamline the process of selecting a suitable plan for residents.

The insurance offerings and their costs remain unchanged, but Get Covered Illinois offers more than what initially seems apparent.

“The real distinction is in the level of control a state has over the resources and services it uses to assist locals in enrolling for coverage,” explained Morgan Winters, the newly appointed director of Get Covered Illinois.

Winters highlighted that the primary benefit of the state-specific platform is its user-friendliness. Unlike the generic healthcare.gov, Get Covered Illinois is designed with the unique needs of Illinoisans in mind.

“We have a network of certified brokers and navigators. These are local experts who provide free help with the enrollment process,” Winters explained. “We also have a dedicated customer assistance center with representatives who can assist customers in both English and 250 other languages that we support.”

Illinois residents are also getting perks other states won’t get, like alternate enrollment periods.

“One of those is a pregnancy special enrollment period that offers coverage to folks when they become pregnant. That’s not something that’s available on the federal marketplace,” Winters said. “The other is what we call ‘easy enrollment.’ It gives uninsured Illinoisians an opportunity to enroll in coverage when they file their state tax form.”

Winter said the change in the marketplace comes at a critical time. Premiums for those on subsidized health care plans are expected to rise 50 to 60% on average in Illinois.

The state can’t make the plans more affordable, but it can get people to the best alternative if they can’t afford their previous plan.

“While that’s a big hit to families’ budgets, it’s important to know that tax credits will still be available to help bring down the cost of coverage,” Winters said. “They’re just not going to be as generous and get covered.”

Winters said there is concern that people will choose to go without health insurance, rather than adjust their plans when premiums go up. He said that’s not the right move to make; any insurance is better than nothing.

“All of the plans on Get Covered Illinois offer 10 essential health benefits, which include free preventative care, which is just so critical in catching health issues early before they become more major,” Winters said. “Health insurance also protects from devastating medical debt.”

Open enrollment will begin Saturday, Nov. 1. People can find more information on plans and how to access them by heading to