Illinois open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Illinois

Illinois Open Enrollment 2027 for People Between Jobs

Last updated November 3, 2026 · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker

Short answer

For people between jobs in Illinois, Get Covered Illinois sets the 2027 open enrollment dates; check its site for this year's deadlines. If you are healthy, a private, medically underwritten plan is another route that ignores the calendar: if approved, it can start the first of any month, right after your job coverage ends.

What 2027 looks like for you

Illinois's average 2027 rate change is 14% to 14.1% (finalized). The details are on the Illinois 2027 premium increase page.

Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, and open enrollment runs at the same time this fall, so most people between jobs have two doors open at once. Federal COBRA, where it applies, lasts up to 18 months at up to 102% of the full premium. Any Marketplace subsidy depends on your 2027 household income, with the line at $63,840 for one person and $86,560 for two.

Illinois this year

Illinois locked in an average individual increase near 14 percent for 2027, close to the national figure, and small-business plans go up about 17.6 percent. Six insurers filed, though lineups differ between Chicago, the collar counties and downstate. Get Covered Illinois, the state's exchange since the 2026 plan year, now handles Marketplace applications in place of HealthCare.gov. When a Chicago consulting gig ends or a trucking job near Joliet is cut, an insured Illinois group plan has to let you continue for as many as 12 months once you have been covered three months, and up to two years for divorced or widowed spouses.

State continuation in Illinois: Illinois requires insured group plans to offer up to 12 months of continuation after three months of coverage, and gives divorced or widowed spouses up to two years.

One thing to do before you choose

Illinois residents no longer apply through HealthCare.gov, so start on Get Covered Illinois. Enter the date your job coverage ended, then price plans with a 2027 income estimate that counts any severance arriving after New Year's. Hold that figure next to the 12-month state continuation offer and, for a larger employer, the COBRA notice, then pick the one that keeps your doctors.

Your checklist

The exact date your job coverage ends, in writing
Your COBRA notice and its election deadline
Severance and final pay in your 2027 income estimate
A private quote while COBRA is still in reserve

Private plan or Marketplace?

Private plan

Healthy and between roles: priced on age, ZIP code and health, with COBRA kept in reserve. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.

Marketplace

Ongoing treatment, or a year of lower income: Get Covered Illinois must accept you within the 60-day window or during open enrollment.

Compare Illinois plans this open enrollment

Private plans priced first, the Marketplace alongside when it fits. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee.

Get a quote Book a call (786) 218-2384

About your broker

Frank Caballero (NPN 21032307), licensed in 31 states including Illinois. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee; independent, not HealthCare.gov or any government agency.

Questions

Who sets Illinois's 2027 open enrollment deadline?

Get Covered Illinois, Illinois's own exchange. Check its site for this year's dates before you plan around them.

I left an Illinois job after two months. Can I continue the group plan?

Not under Illinois law, since state continuation needs a three-month stretch of coverage first. A company employing at least 20 people may owe you federal COBRA, so ask. Otherwise, that loss lets you sign up on Get Covered Illinois within 60 days, and the state's open enrollment is another chance to pick a plan.

Can I get a private plan in Illinois after open enrollment closes?

Yes. You can apply in any month and, if approved, a private plan can start the first of a month; the insurer can decline based on health answers.

More for Illinois

Official sources: Get Covered Illinois, Illinois's state exchange. FC Insurance Solutions is an independent, licensed brokerage and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker in Illinois and 30 other states, NPN 21032307. Last updated November 3, 2026.