Best Illinois Health Insurance (2024 Plans)

MercyCare Health Plans offers the best health insurance in Illinois with a MoneyGeek score of 80. This provider has affordable plan options, low out-of-pocket costs and denies fewer claims than other insurers.

For this analysis, we looked at 73 Silver plans, including HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), POS (Point of Service) and PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plan types in Illinois.

MercyCare Health Plans has the best health insurance in Illinois for low out-of-pocket costs, with a MoneyGeek score of 82 out of 100. The company offers affordable plan options. It also features low out-of-pocket costs and denies fewer claims than most other insurers in Illinois.

In Illinois, we evaluated 49 Gold HMO plans, three Gold POS plans, one Platinum POS plan and four Gold PPO plans for this analysis.

Ambetter is the best provider of cheap health insurance in Illinois, with a MoneyGeek score of 78 out of 100. The provider offers plans that cost less on average, minimizes out-of-pocket costs and denies claims less often than most other providers.

In this analysis, MoneyGeek looked at 73 Silver plans in Illinois. The team reviewed 63 Silver HMO, three Silver POS and seven Silver PPO plans. MoneyGeek focused on plans with lower monthly premiums when deciding which is the best, but plans with lower premiums usually have higher out-of-pocket costs.

Ambetter offers the best health insurance in Illinois for those with low income, earning a MoneyGeek score of 75 out of 100. This provider has lower-than-average rates for plans, lower out-of-pocket costs and fewer claim denials than many other providers in Illinois.

We analyzed 63 HMO, three POS and seven PPO Silver CSR (cost-sharing reduction) plans for this category in Illinois.

MoneyGeek emphasized plans with low monthly premiums and included only those with CSRs to determine the best option for those with lower incomes. CSRs reduce out-of-pocket spending and deductible amounts if you earn within certain income ranges relative to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), allowing you more savings even with lower premiums. Whereas a typical Silver plan covers about 70% of health care costs, for CSR Silver plans, the percentage covered varies:

• Earnings between $27,180 and $33,975 per year (201–250% of FPL): Expect 73% of health insurance costs covered.
• Earnings between $20,385 and $27,180 per year (151–200% of FPL): Expect 87% of costs covered.
• Earnings less than $20,385 per year (up to 150% of FPL): Expect 94% of costs covered.

The income brackets for these percentages change if more or fewer people are in your household.

Health Alliance provides the best health insurance in Illinois for young adults, with a MoneyGeek score of 75 out of 100.

Health Alliance has low out-of-pocket costs and is better at not denying claims compared to the average. Remember, only individuals under the age of 30 can purchase Catastrophic plans.

For this category in Illinois, we evaluated five Catastrophic HMO plans, one Catastrophic PPO plan, 54 Expanded Bronze HMO plans, three Expanded Bronze POS plans and eight Expanded Bronze PPO plans for young adults.

Health insurance companies have different kinds of plans. The best providers for all plan categories in Illinois are:

• PPO: Aetna (MoneyGeek score: 60 out of 100)
• POS: Health Alliance (MoneyGeek score: 100 out of 100)
• HMO: MercyCare Health Plans (MoneyGeek score: 89 out of 100)

MoneyGeek's analysis only included Silver plans when making these recommendations. Silver plans are suitable for individuals who need medical services often. They also balance the monthly payment and the out-of-pocket costs when you get medical care.

In Illinois, 63 HMO, three POS and seven PPO Silver plans are available.

National General Accident & Health, which received a MoneyGeek score of 95 out of 100, provides the best short-term health insurance in Illinois. Since short-term health insurance does not provide all the necessary health benefits that Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plans do, it's only recommended for people wishing to address temporary coverage gaps.

The Illinois health insurance provider that is the ideal fit for you will depend on your spending limit and your coverage requirements. The following recommendations can be helpful when planning to get health insurance.

Medicare, which can greatly lower medical expenses, may be available to individuals who are 65 or older or who have a qualifying disability or sickness. This is a federal program that offsets the costs of medical care and includes the following parts:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance): This is hospital insurance that covers inpatient stays, hospice care and nursing home care.
• Part B (Medical Insurance): This type of medical insurance covers outpatient care, physician costs, preventative services and medical supplies.
• Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage): This helps cover the cost of prescription medications and vaccinations.

In addition, MoneyGeek has in-depth resources for finding the best Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans in Illinois.

Medicaid, another federal program, provides health coverage to individuals with low income. Illinois individuals earning less than 138% of the federal poverty level are eligible for this public health insurance plan. Medicaid is an affordable health insurance alternative that can cover the majority if not all, eligible medical expenses.

Finding an ideal health insurance plan can be complicated due to concerns about price and availability. MoneyGeek answers some frequently asked questions to help you research options.