Is It Right for You?

Medicaid is government-funded health coverage for people in certain situations. You may qualify if you:

• Have low to moderate income, no matter how much you have in resources or whether you have a disability. This way of qualifying is explained on this page.
• Have low income and resources, and have a disability or are 65 or older, including anybody who gets Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or qualifies for SSI’s 1619(b) rule. Learn more about Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid.
• Have a disability and work, even if your income or resources are higher. Learn more about Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD).

Answer the questions on this page to see if you might qualify for Medicaid based on having low to moderate income. If so, it’s probably your best health coverage option because it doesn’t have a premium, the copayments for services are generally lower than copayments required by private plans, and Medicaid covers more services than most private plans. Also, if you qualify for Medicaid, you cannot get government help paying for an individual plan on Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov.

Do You Meet the Basic Requirements for Income-Based Medicaid?

To qualify for Medicaid based on having low to moderate income, you must:

• Be under 65 years old
  • You can be 65 or older if you are the parent or caretaker of a child.
• Not qualify for Medicare
  • You can be on Medicare if you are the parent or caretaker of a child or are pregnant.
• Be a U.S. citizen or meet specific noncitizen requirements

If you are under 65, do not qualify for Medicare, and are either a U.S. citizen or a noncitizen who qualifies, income-based Medicaid might cover you.

Medicaid Rules for Immigrants:

• Undocumented immigrants do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage, but they may qualify for Emergency Medical Coverage. If they are 18 or younger, they may qualify for All Kids; if they are 42 to 64 years old, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults; and if they are 65 or older, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors.
• Most immigrants who have been lawfully present for less than five years do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage. However, they may qualify for private coverage subsidized by the government or for All Kids, Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults, or Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors.
• Immigrants who have been lawfully present for five years or longer and some other noncitizens who meet specific noncitizen requirements, may qualify for Medicaid or other Illinois health programs.

Note: Illinois has temporarily paused new enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs.

Is Your Income Low Enough for Income-Based Medicaid?

These are the main income rules for getting Medicaid based on having low to moderate income:

• If your family’s income is at or under 138% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($20,783 per year for an individual; $43,056 for a family of four), you may qualify.
• If you are 18 or younger and your family’s income is at or under 318% of FPG ($99,216 per year for a family of four), you may qualify for All Kids.
• If you are pregnant and your family’s income is at or under 213% of FPG ($66,456 per year for a family of four), you may qualify. The unborn baby is counted as a family member.

This way of qualifying for Medicaid, sometimes called "Medicaid expansion," is based on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), which includes most earned and unearned income. However, some income is not counted, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, growth of the investments in an ABLE account, and some contributions to retirement accounts. Learn more about what types of income affect income-based Medicaid eligibility.

Note: There are no limits to how much you can have in resources for income-based Medicaid and you do not need to have a disability.

Health Coverage Income Limits for Your Family

Your family size:	123456789101112
Income limits for your family:
	$15,060
	$5,380
	$14,580
	$5,140
Medicaid (138% FPG)
All Kids (318% FPG)
Subsidized private plans, reduced fees (250% FPG)
Subsidized private plans (no income limit)	--
If your family's income is at or below the limit for a program, you may qualify if you meet other program rules. Notes: Some types of income do not count against these limits, including SSI benefits. Different programs sometimes use slightly different numbers for the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled (AABD) Medicaid eligibility is not included here. For private plans with subsidies, your monthly premium amount depends on your income.

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If your income is low enough and you meet all other requirements, you should sign up for Medicaid or All Kids.

More Ways to Qualify for Medicaid if You Have a Disability

There are other ways to qualify for Medicaid if you have a disability. You might qualify for Medicaid based on having a disability if:

• You get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or used to get SSI and now have SSI 1619(b) status. People who get SSI benefits qualify for Medicaid, but need to apply for Medicaid separately.
• You make more money at work than income-based Medicaid allows. In that case, you could apply for Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD).
• You also get Medicare. Usually, Medicaid doesn’t cover people getting Medicare, but Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid does.
• You are 65 years old or older.

You might qualify for income-based Medicaid, even though you have a disability, if:

• Your disability does not meet Social Security’s definition of disability. AABD Medicaid is only for people who have disabilities meeting this standard and seniors who are 65 or older.
• You have more resources than are allowed by AABD Medicaid and do not work.
• You make enough money that you would have to pay a monthly premium for HBWD.

Learn more about AABD Medicaid and HBWD.

How to Sign Up

You can apply for Medicaid, All Kids, and other Illinois programs:

• Online using the Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE)
• By calling the ABE Customer Call Center at 1-800-843-6154
• By downloading a paper application (also available in Spanish), filling it out, and then returning it by mail or fax to your DHS Family Community Resource Center, or
• At your local DHS Family Community Resource Center.

The ABE website answers frequently asked questions, including explaining what information you'll need to fill out an application.

Staying on Medicaid

Usually, once approved for Medicaid, you continue to qualify as long as your situation doesn’t change. If your income, immigration status, residency, or household size changes, let your DHS Family Community Resource Center know within 10 days of the change. You can do this in person, by phone, or by email. When you report your changes, the county tells you whether you continue to get Medicaid or if you have new health coverage options, like individual coverage with subsidies or HBWD.

Is It Right for You?

Medicaid is government-funded health coverage for people in certain situations. You may qualify if you:

• Have low to moderate income, no matter how much you have in resources or whether you have a disability. Learn more about income-based Medicaid.
• Have low income and resources, and have a disability or are 65 or older, including anybody who gets Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or qualifies for SSI’s 1619(b) rule. Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid is explained on this page.
  
• Have a disability and work, even if your income is higher and your resources are higher. Learn more about Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD).

Answer the questions on this page to see if you might qualify for AABD Medicaid. If so, it’s probably your best health coverage option because it doesn’t have a premium and Medicaid covers more services than most private plans. Also, if you qualify for Medicaid, you cannot get government help paying for an individual plan on Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov.

Medicaid Rules for Immigrants

For Medicaid, you must be a U.S. citizen or meet specific noncitizen requirements:

• Undocumented immigrants do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage, but they may qualify for Emergency Medical Coverage. If they are 18 or younger, they may qualify for All Kids; if they are 42 to 64 years old, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults; and if they are 65 or older, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors.
• Most immigrants who have been lawfully present for less than five years do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage. However, they may qualify for private coverage subsidized by the government or for All Kids, Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults, or Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors.
• Immigrants who have been lawfully present for five years or longer and some other noncitizens who meet specific noncitizen requirements, may qualify for Medicaid or other Illinois health programs.

Note: Illinois has temporarily paused new enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs.

Do You Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

If you get SSI benefits, or qualify for SSI’s 1619(b) rule, which helps people who used to get SSI, you automatically qualify for Medicaid coverage:

• If you get SSI benefits, you qualify for Medicaid, but still need to fill out a Medicaid application.
• If you qualify for 1619(b), you automatically get Medicaid coverage and do not need to fill out a separate Medicaid application.

Note: For this, you must meet all other Illinois Medicaid program rules, such as living in Illinois.

If you get SSI or qualify for 1619(b), you qualify for AABD Medicaid coverage!

If not, keep reading this page to see if AABD Medicaid might still be right for you.

If You Don't Get SSI, Do You Have Very Low Income and Very Low Resources?

If you don't get SSI or qualify for 1619(b), you may still qualify for AABD Medicaid if you:

• Have a disability that meets Social Security’s adult definition of disability or are at least 65 years old.
• Have less than $17,500 in countable resources.
  • Money that you have in ABLE Accounts is not counted.
• Have countable income at or below 100% of FPG ($1,255 per month if you live alone; $1,704 for couples). If your countable income is higher than 100% of FPG, you may still qualify for AABD Medicaid with a spenddown, which is discussed below.
  • Important: Countable income for AABD Medicaid is not the same as countable income for SSI. To calculate your countable income for AABD Medicaid, money you spend on some things, like work expenses, day care costs, transportation, and more may be deducted.

If you have a disability, have income and resources below the limits, and meet all other program rules, AABD Medicaid might be right for you.

Tip: If you have a disability, but you have higher income or resources, you may qualify for Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD). Learn more about HBWD.

How to Sign Up

You can apply for Medicaid, All Kids, and other Illinois programs:

• Online using the Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE)
• By calling the ABE Customer Call Center at 1-800-843-6154
• By downloading a paper application (also available in Spanish), filling it out, and then returning it by mail or fax to your DHS Family Community Resource Center, or
• At your local DHS Family Community Resource Center.

The ABE website answers frequently asked questions, including explaining what information you'll need to fill out an application.

Staying on Medicaid

Usually, once approved for Medicaid, you continue to qualify as long as your situation doesn’t change. If your income, immigration status, residency, or household size changes, let your DHS Family Community Resource Center know within 10 days of the change. You can do this in person, by phone, or by email. When you report your changes, the county tells you whether you continue to get Medicaid or if you have new health coverage options, like individual coverage with subsidies or HBWD.

Is It Right for You?

Medicaid is government-funded health coverage for people in certain situations. You may qualify if you:

• Have low to moderate income, no matter how much you have in resources or whether you have a disability. Learn more about income-based Medicaid.
• Have low income and resources, and have a disability or are 65 or older, including anybody who gets Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or qualifies for SSI’s 1619(b) rule. Learn more about Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid.
• Have a disability and work, even if your income is higher and your resources are higher. Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) is explained on this page.

Answer the questions on this page to see if you might qualify for HBWD. If so, it’s a good option to consider because it lets you work, earn more money, and still get great coverage from Medicaid.

Do You Meet HBWD’s Basic Requirements?

To qualify for HBWD, you must:

• Live in Illinois
• Be 16 – 64 years old
• Have a disability
• Be working and paying FICA taxes, and
• Be a U.S. citizen or meet specific noncitizen requirements.

If you live in Illinois, are 16 – 64 years old, working, have a disability, and are either a U.S. citizen or a non-citizen who qualifies, HBWD might be an option for you.

Medicaid Rules for Immigrants:

• Undocumented immigrants do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage, but they may qualify for Emergency Medical Coverage.
• Most immigrants who have been lawfully present for less than five years do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage. However, they may qualify for private coverage subsidized by the government.
• Immigrants who have been lawfully present for five years or longer and some other noncitizens who meet specific noncitizen requirements qualify for the same programs that U.S. citizens can get.

Note: Some immigrants who don't qualify for Medicaid may qualify for other Illinois programs that are similar to Medicaid: if they are 18 or younger, they may qualify for All Kids; if they are 42 to 64 years old, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults; and if they are 65 or older, they may qualify for Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors. Note: Illinois has temporarily paused new enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs.

Do You Have a Disability That Meets Social Security’s Standards?

To qualify for HBWD, you must have a disability that meets Social Security’s definition of disability. For adults, Social Security says you have a disability if:

• You have a physical or mental impairment or combination of impairments, and
• Your condition has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months.

Note: For HBWD, Social Security’s disability rules related to earned income do not apply.

If you currently get disability benefits, like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you already meet Social Security’s disability standards. If not, the state will check to see if your disability qualifies for HBWD.

If you already have a disability determination from Social Security or think that your disability meets Social Security’s standards, HBWD might be an option for you.

Do You Have Low Resources?

Resources are money and property you own. For HBWD, you must have less than $25,000 in resources.

Some assets don’t count towards HBWD’s resource limit, like the money that you have in retirement accounts or ABLE Accounts.

If your assets are below the limit, HBWD might be an option for you.

Is Your Income Below HBWD’s Income Limit?

For HBWD, you must have countable income at or below $4,393 per month.

To calculate your countable income, money you spend on some things, like work expenses, day care costs, transportation, and more may be deducted. You could earn as much as $53,610 per year and still qualify!

If your income is low enough and you meet all other requirements, you should apply for HBWD.

How to Apply

You can apply for HBWD:

• Online using the Application for Benefits Eligibility,
• By calling the ABE Customer Call Center at 1-800-843-6154, or
• By downloading a paper HBWD application (also available in Spanish), filling it out, and then mailing it to the address listed on the form.

For more information or to get an application mailed to you, talk to a Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) expert at 1-800-226-0768 or 1-866-675-8440 (TTY).

Staying on HBWD

Usually, once approved for HBWD, you continue to qualify as long as your situation doesn’t change. If your income, immigration status, residency, disability status, or household size changes, report the change to a Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) expert within 10 days at 1-800-226-0768 or 1-866-675-8440 (TTY).

What Options Are Right for You?

When you work, some of the money you earn automatically comes out of your paycheck and helps fund Medicare, a national public health insurance program.

If you or your spouse worked enough time while paying Medicare taxes, you qualify for Medicare:

• When you turn 65
• After you get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for two years, or
• If you have Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS) or end-stage kidney disease (ESRD).

If you get Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) benefits for two years based on a parent’s work record, you also qualify for Medicare.

If you qualify for Medicare, you can choose from two options:

• Original Medicare, including Part A, which helps pay for medical care you get while you’re in a hospital; Part B, which helps pay for medical care you get outside of a hospital, like when you go to the doctor’s office; and Part D, which helps pay for prescription drugs. You also have the option of getting a private Medicare supplement policy, which covers some expenses that Parts A and B do not cover.
  • After you get SSDI or CDB for two years, you automatically get Medicare Parts A and B. Otherwise, you may need to sign up, depending on your situation.
• A Medicare Advantage plan, which combines Parts A, B, and D into a single plan run by a private company. There are many different Medicare Advantage plans to choose from.
  • If you want a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to sign up during your initial Medicare enrollment or during the annual open enrollment period between October 15 and December 7 each year.

Most people don’t have to pay a monthly premium for Part A, but they do have to pay monthly premiums for Parts B and D, or for Medicare Advantage plans.

Answer the questions on this page to see if it makes sense for you to get Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan, and also whether you might qualify for programs that can help you pay your monthly premiums, copayments, co-insurance, and deductibles. If you have any questions, contact the free Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP).

Note: In some cases, a parent or spouse's work record may help you qualify for Medicare, but it is individual coverage, not family coverage. All expenses, like premiums and deductible are for the individual and are not shared by the family.

Do You Qualify to Get Medicare and Other Coverage at the Same Time?

If you qualify to get Medicare at the same time as you get employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid, or Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD), having those other benefits may impact your Medicare decisions:

• If you also qualify for Medicaid or HBWD, they may help pay for some medical expenses that Parts B and D don't pay for.
• If you also qualify for employer-sponsored coverage, you may wish to decline Part B and Part D coverage, so that you don’t have to pay their premiums. However, your private coverage must meet certain standards, or else you may have to pay monthly penalties if you choose to sign up for Parts B and D later.
  • Important: Before you decline Part B, ask your employer-sponsored coverage to see if you would have to pay monthly penalties if you sign up for Part B in the future. Before you decline Part D, ask if your private insurance is considered creditable coverage by Part D. If it isn't, you would have to pay monthly penalties for Part D if you sign up later. If you have any questions about this, contact the free Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP).

You may have other options as well, such as retirement benefits, Veterans (VA) benefits, or military (TRICARE) benefits. Learn more about how Medicare interacts with other types of coverage.

Can You Get Help Paying for Medicare Parts A and B?

Medicare offers good coverage, but you may have to pay large copayments, co-insurance, or deductibles. And, for Part B, you may have to pay a monthly premium (usually $174.70 per month or a bit less, depending on your situation). However, if you have low income and low resources, you may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) or you might get help if you have Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid.

Here's how Illinois Medicare Savings Programs might help you:

• The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program helps people with countable income that’s 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) or less ($1,255 per month or less if you live alone). QMB helps pay for all your Part A and Part B premiums, copayments, and deductibles.
• The Specified Low-Income Beneficiary (SLMB) program helps people with countable income that’s more than 100% of FPG, but at or below 120% of FPG ($1,506 per month or less if you live alone). SLMB helps pay for the Part B premium, but does not help with anything else.
• The Qualified Individual-1 program, also called QI-1, helps people with countable income that’s more than 120% of FPG, but at or below 135% of FPG ($1,695 per month or less if you live alone). QI-1 helps pay for the Part B premium, but does not help with anything else.

• The resource limit for QMB, SLMB, and QI-1 is $9,430 if you live alone and $14,130 if you live with someone else.

You can apply for an MSP online using the Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE), by calling the ABE Customer Call Center at 1-800-843-6154, or by contacting your DHS Family Community Resource Center. Learn more about MSPs.

If you don't qualify for an MSP, but do qualify for AABD Medicaid, you may not have to pay Part B premiums in very limited situations. Here are a couple of examples when this might happen:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 1619(b) status means you automatically qualify for AABD Medicaid. So, if you have SSI 1619(b) status and also have Medicare, you don't have to pay the Part B premium.

• If you get Medicaid by paying a Medicaid Spenddown, you also have AABD Medicaid. If you have a Spenddown and Medicare, look into the "Pay-In Spenddown" option. Learn more about the Medicaid Spenddown and the Pay-In Spenddown.

Note: Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) is not a form of AABD Medicaid. If you have both HBWD coverage and Medicare, HBWD will not help pay your Part B premium.

Can You Get Help Paying for Medicare Part D?

Part D helps you pay for your medications, but there are some expenses for you, such as the monthly premium, a deductible, copayments, and co-insurance.

If you cannot afford these costs, you may qualify for the Low Income Subsidy (LIS), which is also called “Extra Help.” With it, you don't have to pay a Part D premium or deductible, and there may be lower copayments.

The Low Income Subsidy is for people who also get Medicaid coverage or who are in a Medicare Savings Program. You may also qualify if your countable income is less than $20,331 per year and your resources are less than $17,220 if you are single (the limits are higher for larger households). Not all of your income and resources are counted when you apply for the Low Income Subsidy. You can apply even if you don’t think you qualify.

Apply for the Low Income Subsidy at your local Social Security office.

Note: Before 2024, there used to be a "Partial LIS" that didn't help as much. Now, everybody who qualifies for the LIS gets the full subsidy.

Do You Want a Medicare Supplement Plan That Covers Costs that Original Medicare Doesn't?

If you get Original Medicare with Parts A and B, you can choose to get a private Medicare supplement (sometimes called a Medigap plan) to cover some of the expenses that Medicare Parts A and B don’t cover. For example, a Medicare supplement could cover things like your co-insurance payments for Part B.

You have to pay a monthly premium for a Medicare supplement, in addition to your premium for Part B. The amount you have to pay depends on the plan.

Learn more about Medicare supplements or find one in your area.

Do You Want a Medicare Advantage Plan That Combines Parts A, B, and D?

With Medicare Advantage (sometimes called “Part C”), you can get all of your Medicare benefits combined into a single plan run by a private company. As long as a company follows Medicare’s rules, it can have more flexibility in the benefits it offers, how it organizes payments, and how much the plan costs. Also, Medicare Advantage plans have an out-of-pocket maximum, unlike Original Medicare.

The amount you pay depends on your plan, plus an additional amount for extra benefits and prescription drug coverage. A Medicare Savings Program and the Low Income Subsidy may help you pay for your Medicare Advantage plan.

Use the Medicare Plan Finder to see which Medicare Advantage plans might be best for your needs.

Is It Right for You?

To get private health insurance, a premium must be paid every month. Many employers offer to pay part, or all, of this monthly premium as a job benefit for employees, their children until they turn 26 years old, and their spouses. Employer-sponsored health coverage is the most common type of coverage in the U.S.

Answer the questions on this page to see if you can get employer-sponsored coverage. If you can, you probably should because you won’t qualify for subsidized individual coverage.

Can You Get Medicaid?

If you qualify for Medicaid, it is usually your best choice, even if you can get health insurance from an employer. That’s because Medicaid usually has no monthly premium and the copayments for services tend to be much lower than private insurance copayments. Also, Medicaid may cover some services that employer-sponsored coverage doesn't pay for.

If you can’t get Medicaid, employer-sponsored coverage might be a good option for you.

You may qualify for Medicaid if you are in one of these situations:

• Your family’s income is at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($20,783 per year for an individual; $43,056 for a family of four). The income limits are higher if you are 18 or younger or are pregnant. There are no limits to how much money or other resources you have. Learn more about this way of getting Medicaid.
• You have a disability or are elderly:
  • Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid has more eligibility requirements, such as having a disability (or being 65 or older), having low resources, and different income rules. (If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, you qualify automatically.) Learn more about AABD Medicaid.
  • Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) lets people with disabilities who make more money or have more resources than the limits for other types of Medicaid get coverage. However, you may have to pay a monthly premium. Learn more about HBWD.

Does Your Employer, Your Spouse’s Employer, or Your Parent’s Employer Offer Coverage?

Many employers offer health coverage as a job benefit, but they aren't required to. Contact your employer’s Human Resources department to check what benefits are offered.

If an employer offers health coverage as a job benefit for employees, the employer also has to offer the same health coverage to the employees’ children until they turn 26. An employer may also let the employee’s spouse join the plan, but they are not legally required to do so.

If your employer, your parent’s employer, or your spouse’s employer offers health coverage, it might be a good option for you.

Can You Get the Coverage Your Employer Offers?

Employers offer health coverage for employees and their families only if their employees meet certain requirements, such as:

• The employee must work a certain number of hours each week (called the active work requirement).
  • Example: Your wife’s employer only gives health benefits to employees who work 30 or more hours per week.
• The employee must have worked for the employer for a certain amount of time (called the waiting period). A waiting period cannot be longer than 90 days.
  • Example: Your father’s employer offers health coverage to employees who have worked there for at least 90 days.
• You must sign up during open enrollment.
  • Example: After you are hired, you have to sign up for your employer-sponsored coverage during your first month on the job. If you don’t, you have to wait until the next open enrollment period to sign up for coverage.

If your employer, your parent’s employer, or your spouse’s employer offers coverage and you can get that coverage, you probably should.

Getting Medicare and Employer-Sponsored Coverage at the Same Time

If you get Medicare and also have employer-sponsored coverage, you should learn how your benefits work together.

If you get Original Medicare coverage, you can get Medicare Part A, which usually has no monthly premium, and both Parts B and D, which do have monthly premiums.

If you have private coverage that covers the same things Parts B and D cover, you can choose not to get them so that you don't have to pay their premiums. But it's important to make sure you won't have problems later:

• Before you decline Part B, ask your employer-sponsored coverage to see if you would have to pay monthly penalties if you sign up for Part B in the future.
• Before you decline Part D, ask if your private insurance is considered creditable coverage by Part D. If it isn't, you would have to pay monthly penalties for Part D if you sign up later. If you have any questions about this, contact the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP).

Learn more about Medicare.

How to Sign Up

Talk to the employer’s Human Resources department to learn how to sign up. An employer may offer more than one plan. Every ACA-compliant option must cover the Essential Health Benefits, but usually there are other trade-offs between plans. For example, you may have to pay a higher monthly premium for one plan and higher copayments when you visit a doctor for another plan.

Sign up for coverage when it is first offered; otherwise, you may have to wait until the annual open enrollment period, which is usually near the end of the year. Certain changes in family or coverage status may trigger a special enrollment period. For example, if you get married or have a child, your new spouse or baby will be able to sign up with your employer-sponsored coverage without waiting until open enrollment.

If You Have to Stop Working Temporarily

In certain situations, you may be able to leave your job for a while, but keep getting your employer-sponsored coverage until you return to work.

If you work for any government agency or for a private employer with 50 or more employees, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) lets you take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for certain family and medical reasons, such as the birth of a child or to care for a sick family member. During this leave, your employer must continue to offer the same health coverage at the same cost as you would get while working. Learn more about the FMLA.

If you serve in the uniformed services, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects your job and health coverage for up to 24 months while you are serving. Learn more about USERRA.

COBRA and Illinois Continuation Coverage

COBRA and Illinois Continuation Coverage let most employees and family members keep getting the same health plan they got through an employer after losing employer-sponsored coverage.

COBRA

COBRA is a federal law that says that companies with 20 or more employees have to let ex-employees keep getting the same health coverage they had as employees. How long you can get coverage through COBRA depends on your situation. No matter what though, you have to pay the entire premium for COBRA, including any amount that your employer paid in the past. Your plan could be a lot more expensive than you realize.

COBRA used to be important because it was so hard for individuals, especially people with disabilities, to get an individual insurance plan. Now, Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov makes that much easier and often much cheaper. That said, there are times when COBRA might make sense, like if you’ve already paid the full deductible or out-of-pocket maximum for the year with your employer-sponsored coverage.

The bottom line: Do not sign up for COBRA without comparing it with your other options.

Learn more about COBRA.

Illinois Continuation Coverage

While COBRA only applies to companies with 20 or more employees, Illinois continuation coverage is for employees of smaller companies. The rules for Illinois continuation coverage are similar to COBRA, but there are some differences. Dependent children, spouses, widowed spouses, and divorced spouses may also qualify for coverage. The best way to find out if you qualify for continuation coverage is to ask the employer or benefits administrator.

Is It Right for You?

With individual coverage, an individual or family pays a monthly premium and a private health insurance company agrees to pay some of the costs of approved medical services when needed, including preventive care, lab tests, surgery, or prescription drugs. If you have low to moderate income, the government may help you pay for your monthly premium and get a plan with lower copayments.

Answer the questions on this page to see if it might make sense for you to get individual health coverage. If it does, sign up using Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov, the easiest place to comparison shop for an individual plan. Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov is the only way to get help from the government to pay for your private insurance.

Do You Have Any Better Options?

If you can get Medicaid, Medicare, or employer-sponsored coverage, you don’t qualify for government help to pay for an individual plan. That means they are usually a better choice than getting an individual plan, because they cost less.

Can You Get Medicaid?

Medicaid is a government health program for people with low income. It’s a great program that usually has no monthly premium and copayments for services that are usually much lower than copayments required by individual plans. Also, Medicaid may cover some services that an individual plan doesn't cover.

If you can’t get Medicaid, individual coverage might be a good option for you.

You may qualify for Medicaid if you are in one of these situations:

• Your family’s income is at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($20,783 per year for an individual; $43,056 for a family of four). The income limits are higher if you are 18 or younger or are pregnant. There are no limits to how much money or other resources you have. Learn more about this way of getting Medicaid.
• You have a disability or are elderly:
  • Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) Medicaid has more eligibility requirements, such as having a disability (or being 65 or older), having low resources, and different income rules. (If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, you qualify automatically.) Learn more about AABD Medicaid.
  • Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) lets people with disabilities who make more money or have more resources than the limits for other types of Medicaid get coverage. However, you may have to pay a monthly premium. Learn more about HBWD.

Can You Get Medicare?

Medicare is a government health program for seniors (65 years old or older) and people with disabilities. To get Medicare coverage, you or a family member must have worked for a certain number of years and met other eligibility rules.

If you get Medicare, you cannot get government help to pay for an individual health plan. You can still buy an individual plan through Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov, but you have to pay the entire premium yourself. Note: If you get Medicare and want more coverage than it offers, look into Medicare Advantage or Medicare supplement policies. Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov does not offer these.

If you can’t get Medicare, individual coverage might be a good option for you.

Can You Get Employer-Sponsored Coverage?

Many employers offer private health coverage as a job benefit for employees, their children until they turn 26, and their spouses. If your employer offers you health coverage that would cost you less than 9.12% of your household’s income and that coverage meets bronze-level standards, you won't qualify for government help paying for an individual plan. If you can get employer-sponsored coverage, but sign up for an individual plan anyway, you will have to pay the full premium.

Note: Before 2023, the spouse or children of an employee would not qualify for subsidies on Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov if the employer offered coverage that was affordable for the employee's policy alone, even if the cost to add the rest of the family wasn't affordable. This was called the "family glitch." This changed starting in 2023. Learn more about affordability rules for family members and how it affects eligibility for tax credits on Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov.

If you can’t get employer-sponsored coverage, individual coverage might be a good option for you.

When an Individual Plan Is Your Best Option

You should get an individual plan through Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov if you cannot get health coverage from:

• Your job
• Your spouse’s job
• Your parent’s job
• Medicaid, or
• Medicare.

The government may make your individual plan more affordable if you cannot get health coverage from any of the above options:

• You may get a tax subsidy to help pay your monthly premium.
• You may also qualify for a plan with lower expenses, such as smaller copayments, if your family’s income is at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($36,450 for an individual; $75,000 for a family of four).

Note: There is no income limit for getting subsidies that help pay individual coverage premiums. (Before 2021, the limit was 400% of FPG.) To get subsidies, you still must meet other eligibility rules and the premium amount you pay depends on your income and your plan.

When Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov looks at your income, they count most of your earned and unearned income. However, some income is not counted, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and some contributions to retirement accounts. Learn more about what types of income affect whether you get help paying for individual coverage.

Try Shop/Enroll on Get Covered Illinois.

Health Coverage Income Limits for Your Family

Your family size:	123456789101112
Income limits for your family:
	$15,060
	$5,380
	$14,580
	$5,140
Medicaid (138% FPG)
All Kids (318% FPG)
Subsidized private plans, reduced fees (250% FPG)
Subsidized private plans (no income limit)	--
If your family's income is at or below the limit for a program, you may qualify if you meet other program rules. Notes: Some types of income do not count against these limits, including SSI benefits. Different programs sometimes use slightly different numbers for the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled (AABD) Medicaid eligibility is not included here. For private plans with subsidies, your monthly premium amount depends on your income.

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How to Sign Up

Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov is a one-stop shop where you can compare plans and figure out which is right for you. Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov is the only way to get government help to pay for your individual plan.

Start out by comparing your options using Shop/Enroll on Get Covered Illinois. This can help you make an informed decision when you are ready. If you find Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov confusing or think there is a mistake, get help by calling Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov at 1-866-311-1119 or get local help.

Open Enrollment

Open enrollment for individual plans has ended for this year. People in certain situations can still sign up for a health plan under special enrollment rules.

Usually, you can only sign up for an insurance plan through Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov during a specific time called open enrollment:

• To get an individual plan that covers you during 2025, you must sign up between November 1, 2024 and January 15, 2025.
• If you do not sign up during that time, you are not usually allowed to sign up for an individual plan through Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov until another year has passed.

Special Enrollment

You can sign up for an individual plan through Get Covered Illinois/HealthCare.gov even though it is not the usual open enrollment period if:

• Your household income is at or below 150% of FPG
• You lose other health coverage you had
• Your health coverage is not meeting its obligations
• Your income changes and you gain or lose eligibility for government help paying for your coverage
• You become a legal resident of the U.S.
• You move
• There was a mistake in your enrollment, or
• In other life-changing circumstances, such as having a child or getting married.

Note: American Indians do not have these restrictions on enrollment.