Illinois's New State Exchange — A Genuinely Recent Change
For the 2026 coverage year, Illinois became the newest state to launch its own health insurance marketplace, Get Covered Illinois, moving off the federal HealthCare.gov platform that Illinois residents had used every year prior. Existing accounts were transferred automatically, and enrollees received access codes to continue using their coverage information on the new platform. This is a genuinely recent transition — Illinois residents shopping for 2026 coverage needed to use the new state platform for the first time.
Why States Make This Transition
Moving to a state-run exchange gives Illinois more control over consumer outreach, plan oversight, and the ability to potentially offer state-funded subsidies on top of federal assistance in the future — similar to what California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and other state-exchange states already do. Illinois joins roughly 20 states plus D.C. now running their own marketplace rather than relying entirely on the federal system.
What Makes Illinois Health Insurance Different
- Brand new state exchange for 2026: Get Covered Illinois is genuinely new — don't assume old HealthCare.gov bookmarks or processes still apply
- Automatic account transfer: Existing HealthCare.gov accounts for Illinois residents were transferred to the new platform, with access codes sent to enrollees
- Medicaid expansion state: Illinois expanded Medicaid, so there's no coverage gap between Medicaid and marketplace subsidy eligibility
- Premium alignment benefit: Illinois adopted a premium alignment approach that can make Bronze and Gold plans more affordable than in prior years
How to Get the Best Health Insurance Value in Illinois
- Use Get Covered Illinois directly, not HealthCare.gov, for 2026 coverage and beyond — bookmark the correct site
- Check for your transferred account access code if you were previously enrolled through HealthCare.gov
- Compare Bronze and Gold plans specifically, given Illinois's new premium alignment approach that may make these tiers more competitively priced
- Confirm the state's specific 2026 open enrollment deadline rather than assuming the old federal schedule still applies exactly
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not for 2026 coverage — Illinois transitioned to its own state exchange, Get Covered Illinois, replacing HealthCare.gov for Illinois residents.
Existing Illinois accounts were automatically transferred to Get Covered Illinois, and enrollees received access codes to continue using their information on the new platform.
Many enrollees may find Bronze and Gold plans more affordable than in prior years, due to a new premium alignment approach Illinois adopted for 2026.