Illinois open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Illinois

Illinois Open Enrollment 2027 for Small Business Owners

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

Short answer

For small business owners in Illinois, Get Covered Illinois sets the 2027 open enrollment dates; check its site for this year's deadlines. Your own coverage can also come from a private, medically underwritten plan, which does not wait for the window: if approved, it can start the first of any month.

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.

Group plans can renew at any point in the year, so open enrollment matters to owners for two reasons: an individual coverage HRA, or ICHRA, reimburses employees for individual plans they choose, and most of that shopping happens in this window; and an owner covering only the household buys in the individual market too. For your own household, the 2027 subsidy line is $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for four.

Illinois this year

Illinois small employers face a sharper renewal than individual buyers next year. Small-group plans average about 17.6 percent, while the finalized individual average is about 14 percent. Six insurers filed in the individual market, but some sell only in parts of the state, so a Chicago design firm, a Naperville professional practice and a downstate corn and soybean operation may see entirely different lineups. Illinois moved to its own exchange, Get Covered Illinois, for the 2026 plan year, so ICHRA employees would enroll there rather than on HealthCare.gov. For a business with a handful of employees, the gap between those two increases is worth putting on paper.

Small-group plans in Illinois average about 17.6% for 2027, against 14% to 14.1% for individual plans, so put this year's group renewal next to an ICHRA quote before you sign it.

One thing to do before you choose

Ask your group carrier for the full renewal, then check Get Covered Illinois for plans in each ZIP code where your employees live, from the collar counties to Rockford, Peoria or Springfield. Because some insurers serve only part of Illinois, an ICHRA that works well for Chicago staff can leave a downstate worker with few choices. Confirm the exchange's own deadlines before choosing a start date.

Your checklist

Your 2027 group renewal letter and its effective date
How many employees you have and where they live
A fixed monthly ICHRA budget you could offer
Your own household's coverage, priced separately

Private plan or Marketplace?

Private plan

For the owner's own household when everyone is healthy: priced on age, ZIP code and health. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.

Marketplace

For employees on an ICHRA, or an owner with ongoing care: Get Covered Illinois accepts everyone 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.

If someone leaves my Illinois business, how long does our group plan have to keep them?

An insured Illinois group plan must allow up to a year of continuation to members with three months of coverage behind them. Divorced or widowed spouses can get up to two years, and some spouses 55 and older can continue longer, which matters for family-run Illinois businesses.

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.