How to Get Health Insurance Quotes in Illinois
Last updated · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307
Short answer
In Illinois, self-employed people and families usually compare two kinds of quotes: private, medically underwritten plans priced on age, ZIP code and health, and Get Covered Illinois Marketplace plans, where household income sets any subsidy.
If approved, a private plan can start the first of any month; Get Covered Illinois plans follow open enrollment unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.
Frank Caballero, a licensed broker (NPN 21032307), quotes both for Illinois households from Chicago to Springfield by phone or video, at no fee.
Illinois at a glance
| Where ACA plans are sold | Get Covered Illinois (state exchange since the 2026 plan year) |
|---|---|
| Medicaid expansion | Expanded |
| Open enrollment for 2027 coverage | Set by Get Covered Illinois; check its site for 2027 deadlines |
| Private plan enrollment | Any month, if approved |
| 2027 subsidy line (400% of the poverty level) | $63,840 for one person; $132,000 for a family of four |
| 2027 Marketplace out-of-pocket maximum | $12,000 for one person; $24,000 for a family |
| 2027 average Marketplace rate change | 14% to 14.1% (final, 6 insurers filed) |
| Largest metro areas | Chicago, Aurora–Naperville, Rockford, Peoria and Springfield |
What a quote takes
- Book a 15-minute call by phone or video, in English or Spanish. There is no fee.
- Have ready: your Illinois ZIP code, everyone's ages, your doctors (in Chicago, Aurora–Naperville or elsewhere), prescriptions, a rough income estimate for the Get Covered Illinois side and your health history for the private side.
- Frank prices private plans from your health answers and Get Covered Illinois Marketplace plans from your income, and checks each network for your doctors.
- Next, a private application goes to the insurer for an underwriting decision; if approved, coverage can start the first of the next month. Get Covered Illinois enrollment happens in open enrollment or a special enrollment period, with Frank's help.
Private plan vs. the Marketplace in Illinois
| Feature | Private, medically underwritten plan | Get Covered Illinois Marketplace plan |
|---|---|---|
| Priced on | Age, ZIP code and your health answers | Age and ZIP code; household income sets any subsidy |
| Coverage can start | The first of any month, if approved | After open enrollment, or after a qualifying event in a special enrollment period |
| Health questions | Yes, and approval depends on the answers | No |
| Networks | Many private plans use national PPO networks | Many Illinois Marketplace plans are HMO or EPO networks inside the state |
| Benefits and pre-existing condition rules | Vary by plan; read the plan documents before you apply | Every plan covers essential health benefits and pre-existing conditions |
Illinois no longer allows the sale of short-term limited-duration plans. If you need coverage between jobs, the realistic bridges are a marketplace special enrollment period or a private plan that can start the first of next month if approved.
Illinois rules that shape a quote
Illinois buyers use Get Covered Illinois, the state's own exchange since the 2026 plan year. Final 2027 individual rates rise about 14 percent on average across five insurers, and two insurers are leaving the exchange, so some enrollees must pick new plans. Illinois now requires prior approval of individual and small-group rates. The state banned short-term plans in 2025, so the alternatives to Marketplace coverage are private, medically underwritten plans and employer or union coverage.
Who usually starts with which
Price a private plan first
You are in good health, self-employed or a business owner, and your household income is above the Illinois subsidy line of $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four. Above that line you pay the full Get Covered Illinois premium, so a plan priced on health may cost you less.
Start with Get Covered Illinois
You have health conditions that could affect a private approval, or your household income may qualify for a subsidy. Get Covered Illinois Marketplace plans cannot turn you down or charge more because of your health.
Common self-employed work in Illinois: Consultants, designers and other freelancers in Chicago, rideshare and delivery drivers, owner-operator truck drivers around the Joliet intermodal yards, construction trades, real estate agents, and corn and soybean farm families downstate.
The SBA's 2025 profile counts about 1.35 million small businesses in Illinois, and about 1.1 million of them have no employees at all. The largest group of those one-person firms is transportation and warehousing, about 192,000, a category that includes rideshare and delivery drivers and owner-operator truckers. Professional and technical services follow with about 138,000, and personal services, real estate, administrative support and construction each have between about 94,000 and 117,000. Small businesses employ about 44 percent of Illinois workers.
Get Covered Illinois ran its first open enrollment on its own platform for 2026 and logged 448,568 plan selections, CMS's state-level file shows, about 3.7 percent below the 465,985 Illinoisans who signed up a year earlier. New customers fell harder, from about 111,000 to about 75,000. Roughly 85 percent of 2026 buyers received an advance premium tax credit, so about 15 percent paid full price, up from about 10 percent before the enhanced credits expired. Census data for 2024 put about 42 percent of Illinois households at $100,000 or more in income.
Business owners with employees
The Illinois Department of Insurance approved 2027 small-group increases averaging about 17.6 percent across seven filings, two points more than the 15.6 percent insurers first requested, because the review raised one insurer's request rather than trimming it. Results vary widely by filing, from under 7 percent to almost 18 percent, so two businesses with the same headcount can see very different renewals depending on their insurer. The Department posts each final decision letter online, which lets an owner check the approved range before accepting a renewal or shopping elsewhere.
Leaving a job or group plan
Illinois residents leaving COBRA or state continuation use Get Covered Illinois, not HealthCare.gov. Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day window, and you can report it up to 60 days before your last day of coverage. If you pick a plan before the old coverage ends, the new plan starts the first of the next month, which avoids a gap. Dropping COBRA early in mid-year does not create a window, but the end of an employer's COBRA contribution does.
If you are self-employed in Illinois, premiums for you and your family are often deductible on your federal return, whichever kind of plan you choose. General information, not tax advice — confirm with your CPA based on your specific entity structure.
2027 rates in Illinois
Get Covered Illinois premiums in Illinois are set to rise 14% to 14.1% on average for 2027 in finalized filings from 6 insurers, with small-group plans up about 17.6%; the Illinois 2027 premium increase page has the details.
About your broker
Frank Caballero is a licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307, licensed in 31 states including Illinois. He is based in Tampa and works with Illinois clients by phone or video, in English and Spanish. There is no fee to the client. FC Insurance Solutions is BBB Accredited with an A rating and rated 4.9 on Google from 78 reviews. More about Frank · License list
Illinois health insurance quote questions
Can I get a private health insurance quote in Illinois outside open enrollment?
Yes. Private, medically underwritten plans can be quoted in Illinois any time of year and, if approved, start the first of any month. Get Covered Illinois Marketplace plans need open enrollment or a special enrollment period, such as after losing other coverage.
How long does a Illinois health insurance quote take?
About 15 minutes by phone or video. Get Covered Illinois prices come from your ZIP code, ages and income estimate; private plans also need your health history, and the insurer decides after you apply.
Do I need to go through Get Covered Illinois to get a quote?
No. Illinois uses its own exchange, Get Covered Illinois, which replaced HealthCare.gov for 2026. Get Covered Illinois sets its own open enrollment dates; check its site for 2027 deadlines. A licensed broker can quote Get Covered Illinois plans and private plans in the same call, and private plans are not sold through Get Covered Illinois at all.
Is there a fee to use a health insurance broker in Illinois?
No. Frank charges Illinois clients nothing; the insurance company pays the broker, and you don't pay extra for the help.
What if I have a pre-existing condition in Illinois?
Get Covered Illinois Marketplace plans cannot decline you or charge more because of your health, so Get Covered Illinois is often the place to start. Private plans in Illinois ask health questions, and approval depends on your answers.
Can I still buy a short-term plan in Illinois between jobs?
No. Illinois banned short-term limited-duration plans. Losing employer coverage opens a 60-day marketplace special enrollment period, and a private medically underwritten plan can start the first of the following month if approved, so you are not without options.
More for Illinois
Official sources
FC Insurance Solutions LLC is a private, licensed insurance brokerage. It is not HealthCare.gov, a state exchange or a government agency.