Just got a COBRA letter? Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period — and because COBRA carries no employer contribution and no premium tax credit, the alternative is often much cheaper.
Not a government marketplace. Health Enrollment Center is operated by Sprinter Insurance Agency LLC.
Illinois expanded Medicaid in 2014, so lower-income residents often qualify for no-cost coverage, while everyone above that line enrolls in marketplace plans where roughly 90% receive a premium tax credit. As of the 2026 plan year Illinois runs its own marketplace, Get Covered Illinois, at getcovered.illinois.gov — it replaced HealthCare.gov for Illinois residents, and existing HealthCare.gov accounts were migrated over. The metal tiers, essential health benefits and premium tax credits did not change; the enrollment front door did.
COBRA lets you keep your former employer's exact plan — but now you pay the whole premium plus a 2% admin fee, with no employer contribution. For most households that's $650–$1,200+ a month. The letter makes it sound like your only option. It isn't.
Losing employer coverage is a qualifying life event. It opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on the ACA marketplace, where your income may qualify you for a premium tax credit that COBRA can never offer. Many people who were paying $900 for COBRA move to a comparable Silver plan for $300–$450 — often keeping the same primary-care doctor in-network.
The timing move that saves people money: you have 60 days from the date your coverage ends to enroll in a marketplace plan. Unlike COBRA, marketplace coverage is not retroactive — it starts on a future date, so a gap is possible if you wait. Before you pay that first COBRA invoice, it's worth a 10-minute call to compare. If an ACA plan beats COBRA, we help you enroll; if COBRA is genuinely better for your situation, we'll tell you that too.
Illinois runs its own exchange, Get Covered Illinois, rather than using HealthCare.gov. That matters more than it sounds: state-based exchanges set their own Open Enrollment dates, can recognize special enrollment situations the federal marketplace does not, and sometimes administer state-only programs that have no federal equivalent. Check the Get Covered Illinois calendar rather than assuming the federal dates apply to you. Illinois runs its own state-based marketplace, Get Covered Illinois, which replaced HealthCare.gov for Illinois residents starting with the 2026 plan year. The plans and premium tax credits are the same — only the enrollment site changed.
One thing to check before you pay a COBRA invoice in Illinois: if losing the job dropped your household income, the marketplace subsidy you now qualify for is usually far cheaper than COBRA — and if the drop was steep, the children may qualify for CHIP, which runs year-round rather than on the 60-day clock. For most above-poverty households, though, the win is simply a subsidized marketplace plan COBRA can never match on price. Illinois expanded Medicaid in 2014, so lower-income adults may qualify for no-cost coverage. Above that threshold, marketplace premium tax credits take over — we'll help you find where you land.
The carriers writing individual business in Illinois include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Aetna CVS Health, Ambetter from Meridian, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and others. Networks and pricing are set county by county rather than statewide, so the same carrier can be the best value in one metro and the wrong choice an hour away. We quote Chicago, Aurora, Rockford and Peoria — and every county in between.
Don't see yours? Call a licensed agent — most answers take under two minutes.
Yes. We help Illinois residents compare COBRA alternatives options against the alternatives so you can see the real trade-offs before you enroll.
Yes. Get Covered Illinois is Illinois's own state-based marketplace, and as of the 2026 plan year it has replaced HealthCare.gov for Illinois residents — enrollment runs at getcovered.illinois.gov. If you had a HealthCare.gov account, it was migrated. The plans and premium tax credits are the same, a licensed agent can enroll you at no extra cost, and we can also show private off-exchange plans.
Through Get Covered Illinois, the exchange Illinois runs itself — not HealthCare.gov. A licensed agent can enroll you in the same plans at the same price. Because Illinois sets its own calendar, check the Open Enrollment dates against Get Covered Illinois rather than assuming the federal ones apply to you.
The carriers writing individual business in Illinois include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Aetna CVS Health, Ambetter from Meridian, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and others. Which of them is actually competitive depends on your county rather than the state — the lineup and the networks in Chicago are not the lineup in Peoria. We are independent and compare across all of them rather than steering you to one company.
Start with your ZIP. Two quick questions, then a licensed agent brings you the plans you actually qualify for — no cost, no obligation.