Short-term medical plans can no longer be sold in Illinois. Public Act 103-0649 banned them effective January 1, 2025. The carriers below offer the coverage we recommend instead.
If you would like to consult with one of our licensed agents to review your subsidy eligibility or discuss your insurance options, please contact us.
Short-Term Medical Is No Longer Sold in Illinois. Here Are Your Alternatives.
Illinois banned short-term, limited-duration medical plans effective January 1, 2025 (Public Act 103-0649), so no insurance company can sell or renew one to an Illinois resident. If you need coverage between plans, your real options are an ACA plan or an indemnity plan such as Allstate Health Access, which many people use alone or on top of an ACA plan.
Why shoppers are choosing indemnity
Short-term medical was built as a bridge between plans, but Illinois no longer allows it. A fixed indemnity plan fills a similar need: it sends you a set cash amount whenever you use a covered service, it keeps renewing, and you can start it any time without waiting for open enrollment.
You can also pair it with an ACA plan. Health Access pays even when other insurance also pays, so the cash stacks with whatever your ACA plan covers.
First-dollar benefits
No deductible and no copays before benefits pay. Your first covered visit pays you cash.
PPO network access
First Health Network discounts at doctors and hospitals nationwide, with no penalty if you go out of network.
No end date
Plans auto-renew, benefits can grow in years 2 and 3, and rates are guaranteed for three years.
Lower out-of-pocket costs
Plans start at $154 a month all in for a sample 40-year-old in Chicago, and the cash offsets your bills right away.
Indemnity vs. an ACA Plan
| What matters | Allstate Health Access (indemnity) | ACA plan |
|---|---|---|
| Deductible before benefits pay | None. First-dollar cash benefits | Usually yes, except preventive care |
| How long it lasts | No end date, auto-renews | One plan year, renews each open enrollment |
| When you can start | Apply any time; coverage can start as early as the next day | Open enrollment or a special enrollment event |
| Network | First Health PPO, no out-of-network penalty | Varies by plan |
| Pays with other coverage | Yes, cash on top of other insurance | Coordinates with other coverage |
| Pre-existing conditions | Not covered the first 12 months | Covered |
| Health questions | Yes (a Guaranteed Issue plan is available) | None |
| Spending cap | None. You pay anything above the benefit | Out-of-pocket maximum protects you |
Indemnity plans are not major medical coverage. ACA plans cover pre-existing conditions and cap your total yearly spending, so many people use indemnity alongside an ACA plan rather than instead of one.
3 Common Claims: What You Would Pay
Fixed indemnity plans pay a set amount for each service and send it straight to you, whatever the bill says. These examples compare what you would pay yourself after the plan pays.
1. Pneumonia hospital stay
Bill after network discount: $18,000
Core pays $11,505 and Plus pays $14,680 in cash (from the Allstate brochure). The ACA plan stops at its out-of-pocket maximum.
2. Rotator cuff surgery
Bill after network discount: $9,360
Core pays $6,500 and Plus pays $8,500 in cash (from the Allstate brochure).
3. ER visit, broken wrist
Illustrative bill with ambulance, X-ray and follow-up: $4,200
The bill sits inside a typical ACA deductible, so the plan pays $0. Health Access pays $1,550: ER, ground ambulance, X-ray and one follow-up visit.
How these were figured: the ACA plan is a bronze-style design ($7,500 deductible, then 20% coinsurance, up to a $9,000 out-of-pocket maximum). Health Access amounts are the Core and Plus benefit schedules in the Allstate Health Access brochure (AHS_ACS_1844-4, Rev. 05/2025); the pneumonia and rotator cuff bills come from the brochure's own claim examples, and the ER bill is illustrative. "You pay" for Health Access is the bill minus the cash benefit, assuming no other coverage. A richer ACA plan with a lower deductible pays more, and an ACA plan caps your total yearly cost while indemnity does not. Health Access does not cover pre-existing conditions during the first 12 months, and benefits are fixed amounts, not your actual bill.
See What Health Access Costs for You
Our licensed Illinois agents will compare Health Access and ACA options side by side, at no cost.
Allstate Health Access is a fixed indemnity policy, not health insurance, and is not a substitute for major medical coverage. It requires a LIFE Association membership (a monthly fee plus a one-time enrollment fee). The $154 a month figure is the Metal Gap plan premium plus membership for a 40-year-old non-tobacco male in Chicago (ZIP 60601), quoted September 20, 2026, and varies by age, gender and ZIP code.
Carriers We Currently Offer
Carriers No Longer Offered
When is the policy start date if I apply today?
Coverage can start as soon as the next day.