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How to Get Private Health Insurance Plans in Illinois

In Illinois, your ability to purchase an individual health insurance policy from a private insurance company no longer depends on your health status. Under the ACA, you might be eligible for a subsidy to help pay for your health insurance. If you are eligible, the support can reduce the cost of your monthly premium or be taken as an annual tax credit.

To take advantage of a subsidy, you must select a health policy that has been approved by the federal government and the government of Illinois. These health insurance plans, called On-Exchange Plans, meet a set of standards that aim to eliminate benefit loopholes to ensure that people with pre-existing conditions are not being denied coverage.

If you do not qualify for a subsidy, you can still choose among the Health Exchange Plans, or consider one of the numerous private health insurance plans available in Illinois’s Private Marketplace. What is the biggest difference between a private market health insurance plan and a government-approved one? The trade-off is typically cost. Health insurance companies can charge less for private plans with less-extensive network coverage or fewer benefits, making more-affordable options available to you.

Applying for Health Insurance in Illinois

When applying for an individual health plan, you will be asked questions about your age, dependents, and income. Dependent on your income, you might be eligible for a subsidy. To take advantage of a subsidy, you must choose an “On Exchange” health insurance plan that has been approved by the federal government and the government of Illinois.

If you would like to consult with one of our licensed agents to review your subsidy eligibility or discuss your insurance choices, please contact us.

Below is a list of our preferred health insurance carriers offering individual health plans in Illinois:

Individual and Family Health Insurance Companies in Illinois

Aetna

Aetna was ranked the 5th largest health insurance company in Illinois in 2012, according to Chicago Business. Its total network comprises more than 1 million health care professionals and over 5,300 hospitals nationwide. Illinois residents who purchase an Aetna exchange plan may not have access to doctors’ and hospitals’ entire network. Aetna provides PPO exchange plans in Catastrophic through Gold tiers

Assurant Health

Assurant Health no longer provides individual or group plans as of January 1, 2015, due to unsustainable losses sustained from their health insurance business book.

Ambetter Health

Ambetter Health provides several levels of low-cost health insurance plan choices. When you start shopping for Ambetter health insurance plans in the Marketplace, you will see plan options with different levels like Ambetter Secure Care (Gold), Ambetter Balanced Care (Silver), and Ambetter Essential Care (Bronze) plans. The only difference between these low-cost health insurance policies is how much premium you will pay every month and how much you will pay for certain medical services.

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois is the largest and most common health insurance carrier in the state. They boast the largest PPO provider network of more than 23,000 physicians

Cigna

Cigna is one of 4 insurance carriers offered through the hc.gov marketplace in Illinois. Cigna’s Connect 4000 was usually most affordable in the seven counties where it is provided (Cook, Dupage, Gundy, Kane, Kankakee, Will, and Lake).

References and Resources

• Preferred Provider Organizations
• Silver Health Insurance Plans