Best Cheap Health Insurance in Illinois (2025)
Blue Cross Blue Shield is the best health insurance company in Illinois. Its cheapest Silver plan costs $368 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in Illinois
Cheapest health insurance companies in Illinois
Blue Cross Blue Shield has the cheapest health insurance plans in Illinois. Its Silver plans start at $368 per month.
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Affordable health insurance in Illinois
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois | $368-$929 |
| Ambetter of Illinois | $369-$601 |
| Molina Healthcare | $400-$437 |
| Aetna CVS Health | $422-$718 |
- Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has the cheapest health insurance in Illinois. However, only about 1 in 6 people statewide can buy BCBS's cheapest plans.
- Ambetter has the most affordable plans for most people in Illinois, including if you live in Chicago, Aurora or Naperville.
Best health insurance companies in Illinois
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Illinois sells the best health insurance in Illinois.
BCBS of Illinois has great customer satisfaction and numerous marketplace plans — also called Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans — to choose from, so you can find the best coverage for your situation. It also has the cheapest Silver plan in the state.
Plus, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Aetna are the only two companies in the state that sell PPO plans, which let you see a specialist without a referral. You'll also be able to see out-of-network doctors and still have some coverage.
Best-rated health insurance companies in Illinois
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois | 4.0 | |
| Aetna CVS Health | N/A | |
| Ambetter of Illinois | 3.0 | |
| UnitedHealthcare | 3.0 | |
| MercyCare Health Plans | N/A |
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Aetna, MercyCare and Molina are also good options because of their rates, service and coverage options. But these companies don't have ratings yet on HealthCare.gov.
How much does health insurance cost in Illinois?
The average cost of health insurance in Illinois is $684 per month, but the average cost with discounts based on your income is $141 per month.
- Your age heavily impacts your health insurance rates. A 60-year-old pays more than twice as much for the same level of coverage as a 40-year-old does. Younger people tend to pay the lowest rates since it is less likely they will have serious health problems.
- The plan level you choose also affects your rate. Plans with more coverage, like Gold, cost more per month but let you pay less for medical care. Plans with less coverage, like Bronze and Catastrophic, are usually cheaper each month, but you'll pay more when you go to the doctor.
Get affordable health insurance in Illinois with subsidies
Health insurance in Illinois costs an average of $141 per month if you qualify for discounts based on your income.
More than 89% of people who buy marketplace health insurance in Illinois qualify for discounts based on their income, called subsidies. About a quarter of people pay $10 or less each month for a plan.
To qualify, you have to make between $15,606 and $60,240 as a single person or $31,200 and $124,800 as a family of four. Your subsidy will be higher if you make less money.
You can use your subsidy to help you buy a plan from any company. Subsidies can be used for Bronze, Silver or Gold plans, but they can't be used on Catastrophic plans.
Cheap Illinois health insurance plans by city
Ambetter sells the cheapest health insurance in Chicago, with rates as low as $391 per month for a Silver plan.
If you live downstate, you may be better off with a plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield or Aetna. These companies have the most affordable rates for rural areas in Illinois.
Cheapest health insurance by IL county
County | Cheapest Silver plan | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | Aetna CVS Health Silver | $650 |
| Alexander | Blue Choice Preferred Silver PPO | $881 |
| Bond | Ambetter of Illinois Clear Silver | $538 |
| Boone | MercyCare Silver | $588 |
| Brown | Aetna CVS Health Silver | $650 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
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Best health insurance by level of coverage
The best health insurance plan for you depends on how much health care you need and how much you want to spend each month. It also changes based on where you live because some companies and plans are only available in part of the state.
Gold plans: Best for frequent medical care
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
If you go to the doctor often, consider a Gold plan. They have the highest monthly rates of any plan level, but you'll pay the lowest amounts for medical care.
Gold plans cost $769 per month, on average, in Illinois.
Silver plans: Best for average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver health plans are a good choice for people who have modest medical needs. These plans have a good balance between coverage and affordable rates. A Silver plan has a lower monthly rate than a Gold plan but gives you more coverage than a Bronze plan.
Silver plans cost an average of $684 per month in Illinois.
Bronze plans: Best if you're young and healthy
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans are good if you're mostly healthy and only go to the doctor for routine checkups and occasional illnesses or injuries. They're cheaper than Silver plans but require you to pay more of your medical bills in the form of higher deductibles, coinsurance and copays. If you have a Bronze plan, it's a good idea to have money saved to pay for higher medical bills.
Bronze plans in Illinois cost $553 per month, on average.
Catastrophic plans: Best for limited coverage
Catastrophic health insurance plans are the cheapest options in IL, but they offer the lowest level of coverage. Having a Catastrophic plan is better than not having health insurance, but it's not a good option for most people.
You can only qualify for a Catastrophic plan if you're under 30 years old or meet certain other requirements. You also can't get a premium tax credit to make Catastrophic plans cheaper. You should only consider a Catastrophic plan if you have the finances to pay for expensive medical bills if you become seriously ill or injured.
Catastrophic plans cost an average of $518 per month in Illinois.
Cheap or free health insurance in Illinois if you have a low income
If you can't afford a traditional health insurance plan, you have a few options to get low-cost medical insurance in Illinois.
Medicaid in Illinois
If you have a low income, Illinois Medicaid could be a good health insurance option. To qualify for Medicaid in Illinois, you typically have to make less than around $21,000 as a single person or about $44,000 as a family of four.
Illinois has several Medicaid programs.
- All Kids offers coverage for children under 18.
- FamilyCare is for parents and other relative caretakers who care for children.
- ACA Adults is for those between 19 and 64 who don't have or care for children, and who don't qualify for Medicare.
- Moms & Babies gives health care coverage to women when they are pregnant and for 60 days after their baby is born. If the mother was covered by the program during pregnancy, the baby is also covered until they're a year old.
- Former Foster Care is health insurance for adults between ages 19 and 25 who have aged out of foster care.
- Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD) is for adults who are over 65, blind or disabled.
The income limits may vary depending on the program.
Use cost-sharing reductions for cheaper medical care
If you buy a Silver plan, you might qualify for a discount on the costs your insurance doesn't pay, like your deductible, coinsurance and copays. This is called a cost-sharing reduction, and it's only available on Silver plans. You qualify based on income. The lower your annual income, the lower your costs could be when you get medical care.
Are health insurance rates going up in IL?
The cost of health insurance in Illinois increased by 6%, on average, between 2024 and 2025.
Health insurance has gotten more expensive in Illinois. Silver plans, which are the most popular option in the state, are 8% more expensive for 2025 compared to 2024. No matter what plan tier you buy, you'll likely pay more than you did last year.
Are health insurance rates going up in IL?
Tier | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $483 | $518 | 7% |
| Bronze | $537 | $553 | 3% |
| Silver | $633 | $684 | 8% |
| Gold | $734 | $769 | 5% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
ACA plans, also called "Obamacare" plans, give you good health insurance coverage no matter what plan level you pick. All the plans have to include coverage for at least 10 health situations, including:
- Preventive and wellness visits
- Emergency room visits
- Prescription medications
The biggest difference between the plans is how much the plan pays and how much you pay. Lower-tier plans have less coverage, which means you have to pay a bigger share of the medical bills you get.
Average cost of health insurance by family size in Illinois
Adding a child to a Silver health insurance plan raises your rates by $410 per month, on average. But a child costs the same amount to cover until they turn 14. After that, their rates go up each year as they age.
Adding an adult to your health insurance policy is more expensive, adding an average of $684 per month on a Silver plan.
Family size | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Individual | $684 |
| Individual and child | $1,094 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,368 |
| Family of three | $1,778 |
| Family of four | $2,187 |
Averages based on a Silver plan for 40-year-old adults and children who are under age 15.
Average cost of health insurance by plan type in Illinois
In Illinois, you can choose between three types of health insurance networks: HMOs, PPOs and POS plans.
HMOs and PPOs are the most common types of plans. HMOs are cheaper but require you to get a referral to see a specialist. You can also only use certain medical offices. Going to a doctor outside the plan's network means you have to pay the entire cost yourself. PPOs cost more, but you don't have to wait for a referral to go to a specialist and you can use any doctor you want. You'll pay more if you go to an out-of-network doctor, but you'll still have some coverage.
Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| HMO | $599 |
| PPO | $783 |
| POS | $757 |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan.
POS plans are less common. These plans let you use any doctor, just like a PPO plan. But you have to have a primary care doctor and get referrals to see specialists. Only Health Alliance and Blue Cross Blue Shield offer POS plans in Illinois.
COBRA insurance in Illinois
It's almost always cheaper to buy a marketplace plan than to get COBRA insurance in Illinois.
COBRA costs an average of $722 per month in Illinois, while a Silver health insurance plan from the marketplace costs $684 per month, on average. A marketplace plan might not have the same coverage as your former employer's health insurance, but it's still good coverage. Unless you need a specific type of coverage that you can only get with COBRA, it's probably a better deal to get an ACA plan.
If you lose, quit or retire from your job, COBRA lets you keep the health insurance you had with your employer for 18 months. But you have to pay the full cost for the policy; your former employer won't pay anything.
COBRA is designed to give you time to find another health insurance policy. But an ACA policy is almost always cheaper.
Short-term health insurance in Illinois
Short-term health insurance plans in Illinois can't last longer than three months. You can renew your coverage for four months in total. So, if you get a policy that lasts three months, then you can buy one more month of coverage at the end of your plan.
Pros of short-term health insurance in Illinois
Cons of short-term health insurance in Illinois
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of health insurance in Illinois?
The average cost of a Silver health insurance plan in Illinois is $684 per month. Silver plans range in cost from $368 to $939 per month. Your rate will vary depending on the plan level you choose, how many people you insure, your age, where you live, whether you smoke or use tobacco, and what company you pick.
How do I get health insurance in Illinois?
To get health insurance in Illinois, you can apply through the federal health insurance exchange. You can review and compare plans or create an account to apply online. During the application process, you'll learn whether you qualify for help with your monthly rate or cost-sharing subsidies.
What is the best health insurance in Illinois?
Blue Cross Blue Shield has the best cheap health insurance in Illinois because it has cheap rates and quality coverage. Silver plans start at $368 per month, and the company has a high rating of four out of five stars from HealthCare.gov.
Methodology
2025 health insurance rates and plans in Illinois are from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. Using the public use files (PUFs), rates were averaged across a variety of factors such as plan tier, county and family size. Plans and providers for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our analysis; those excluded from this dataset may not appear. KFF provided the information about the most popular plan level and COBRA in Illinois.
Rates are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan, unless a different age or plan level is noted. The cost of health insurance plans with subsidies is based on CMS data for all consumers who shopped during 2024 open enrollment and who qualified for advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) on their monthly bills.
Additional sources include the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and S&P Global Capital IQ.
Editorial note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.