Get Covered Illinois vs HealthCare.gov

If I live in Illinois and want ACA coverage for 2026, I use Get Covered Illinois – not HealthCare.gov. That’s the whole story in one line.

Here’s what I’d want to know right away:

Illinois moved off HealthCare.gov on January 1, 2026
Get Covered Illinois is now the only place to apply for ACA plans and subsidies in Illinois
Illinois residents had 285 plans from 7 insurers for 2026
448,568 people enrolled through the state exchange
Many got help with costs, with average APTC savings of $688 per month
Coverage does not start until the first premium is paid

If I used HealthCare.gov before, I now need to claim my account or create one on Get Covered Illinois. And if my old plan ended, I need to pick a new one there.

Get Covered Illinois – Consumer Enrollment / Adding Broker

Quick Comparison

Item	HealthCare.gov	Get Covered Illinois
Illinois enrollment for 2026	No	Yes
ACA application	No	Yes
Premium tax credits	No	Yes
Cost-sharing reductions	No	Yes
Plan shopping for Illinois	No	Yes
Account management for Illinois enrollees	No	Yes
Illinois support	General info only	State help line, navigators, brokers

So if I’m comparing the two, the answer is simple: HealthCare.gov is no longer the enrollment site for Illinois, while Get Covered Illinois handles the full process from plan shopping to document upload to final sign-up.

HealthCare.gov vs Get Covered Illinois at a glance

For Illinois residents, the main difference comes down to where enrollment begins and where it ends. Illinois has moved the full ACA sign-up process to the state platform, so residents now start there and finish there.

Feature	HealthCare.gov	Get Covered Illinois
Role	Former federal Marketplace for Illinois residents	Official state-based Marketplace for 2026 coverage
Illinois user path	Redirects Illinois users to the state platform	Start and finish enrollment here
Support options	Federal call center and navigators	State call center, local navigators, and licensed brokers
Financial help	Not available for 2026 Illinois applicants	Only place to apply for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions
Where enrollment ends	Informational only for Illinois residents	Application, document submission, and enrollment completion

HealthCare.gov: its role for Illinois residents

For people in Illinois, HealthCare.gov now serves mostly as a pass-through. It used to be the federal platform Illinois residents relied on before the state made its move to a state-based marketplace for 2026 coverage.

Now, when Illinois residents go to HealthCare.gov, they are sent to the state platform instead of filling out an application on the federal site. People who already had HealthCare.gov accounts needed to claim their prefilled account on Get Covered Illinois or set up a new one.

Get Covered Illinois: the official Illinois Marketplace for 2026 coverage

Get Covered Illinois is the state’s official place for shopping for coverage and signing up. At getcovered.illinois.gov, Illinois residents can compare plans, apply for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, and complete enrollment. For 2026 coverage, it’s the only place to do that in Illinois.

Illinois also extended open enrollment through January 31, 2026, which gave residents more time to choose a plan. Since the marketplace now runs at the state level, Illinois can set its own enrollment windows and special enrollment paths.

How the Illinois enrollment path works now

Illinois ACA Enrollment 2026: Step-by-Step Guide via Get Covered Illinois

What changed for people who previously used HealthCare.gov

If you used HealthCare.gov in the past, you now need to use Get Covered Illinois for Illinois enrollment. The old HealthCare.gov links no longer work for Illinois residents.

A lot of prior accounts were moved to the state system. But there was still one extra step: residents had to claim their prefilled account on Get Covered Illinois or create a new one before they could move forward. On top of that, some 2025 plans were discontinued, so returning enrollees had to pick a new 2026 plan.

Where Illinois applicants start and where they finish

For Illinois residents, the process starts on Get Covered Illinois and ends there too. The full enrollment path now runs through getcovered.illinois.gov.

You can look at plans before making an account, which is nice if you just want to get the lay of the land first. Applicants can check 2026 options by ZIP code and estimate subsidy amounts before applying. For 2026, Illinois residents can choose from 285 plan options offered by seven carriers.

When you’re ready to apply, claim your account or set up a new one. Then complete the application with details such as:

Household size
Estimated annual income
Social Security numbers
Immigration status

If your income falls below the Marketplace income limit, the system sends your application to Medicaid or All Kids (CHIP). Once eligibility is confirmed, you can compare plans, choose one, and submit the application. Coverage starts only after you pay the first month’s premium, also called the binder payment, to the insurance company.

If you need help along the way, support is available at each step.

Support options and local enrollment help

Once you know where to enroll, the next step is figuring out who can help you finish the application.

HealthCare.gov help options

For Illinois residents, HealthCare.gov is now only a general ACA information source. It does not handle 2026 Illinois enrollment.

So yes, you can still use HealthCare.gov for broad ACA details. But when it comes to actual application help in Illinois, that now moves to Get Covered Illinois.

Get Covered Illinois help options

Get Covered Illinois handles 2026 Illinois application help. GCI offers a Customer Assistance Center at 1-866-311-1119, along with live interpretation in English, Spanish, and 200+ languages.

If you need to send in proof or other records, GCI also lets you submit verification documents through your account.

When Illinois Health Agents may help

Some people want more personal, local support. That’s often the case for households with a lot going on, people with self-employment income, or anyone trying to check whether a plan includes certain doctors or hospitals.

In those cases, a licensed broker may help. Illinois Health Agents can provide one-on-one ACA enrollment support for those kinds of situations. If you want broker help through GCI, you’ll need to designate a broker in your account.

Plan access, premium payment, and final enrollment steps

Comparing premiums, deductibles, and provider networks

Don’t judge a plan by the monthly premium alone. The full cost matters more: your deductible, copays, coinsurance, annual out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the plan includes your doctors and prescriptions.

Use the exact plan ID when you compare provider networks and drug coverage. That detail matters because networks can change by county and by plan type. Metal tiers usually work like a trade-off: higher monthly premiums often mean lower costs when you get care, while lower premiums usually mean you pay more out of pocket.

Metal Tier	Insurer Pays	Typical Fit	Key Note
Bronze	~60%	Healthy, low-usage enrollees	Deductibles typically $7,000–$9,200 per individual
Silver	~70%	Income-eligible households	Only tier where Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSR) apply
Gold	~80%	Regular medical needs	Deductibles roughly $1,500–$3,000

Before you lock anything in, check the plan’s provider directory using that exact plan ID to confirm your doctors are in-network. Then review the formulary to make sure your prescriptions are covered.

Once a plan works for your doctors, your medications, and your budget, it’s time to handle the first payment.

How enrollment becomes active

Choosing a plan does not start coverage by itself. The insurer has to receive your first premium before coverage begins.

That first payment is often called the binder payment, and it goes directly to the insurer. After you pick a plan, the carrier will send payment instructions. If those instructions don’t show up, contact the insurer right away.

Coverage dates usually follow this schedule:

Enrollment Date (2026 Cycle)	Coverage Effective Date
November 1 – December 15	January 1
December 16 – January 15	February 1
January 16 – January 31 (IL Extension)	March 1

After you submit payment, enrollment is complete, and coverage can begin on the scheduled effective date.

Conclusion: how to think about both platforms

For 2026, Illinois residents use Get Covered Illinois at getcovered.illinois.gov to compare plans, apply for financial help, and complete enrollment.

In 2026, 448,568 Illinois residents enrolled through the state exchange, and enrollees saved an average of $688 per month through Advance Premium Tax Credits. About 22% paid less than $10 per month after subsidies.

If you used HealthCare.gov before, claim your Get Covered Illinois account so you can manage your coverage there going forward.

FAQs

How do I claim my Get Covered Illinois account?

Visit Get Covered Illinois to claim your account. Federal HealthCare.gov accounts did not transfer on their own, so you’ll need to claim your pre-filled state account using the instructions Illinois sent you. If you didn’t get those instructions, you can create a new account on the portal instead.

Need a hand? Call the Get Covered Illinois Helpdesk at 1-866-311-1119. Illinois Health Agents can also help with one-on-one enrollment support.

What if my old HealthCare.gov plan ended?

Since Illinois moved to a state-based marketplace in late 2025, residents in Illinois can no longer sign up through HealthCare.gov. If your old plan ended, you’ll need to use Get Covered Illinois to enroll in new coverage.

Your old HealthCare.gov account does not move over on its own. So, you may need to claim your account or set up a new one. If you want a hand sorting through your options, Illinois Health Agents can help you compare ACA plans and make the switch.

When does my coverage begin?

Your coverage start date depends on when you finish your application during the annual Open Enrollment Period.

Nov. 1–Dec. 15: Jan. 1
Dec. 16–Jan. 15: Feb. 1
Jan. 16–Jan. 31: Mar. 1

Outside Open Enrollment, start dates change based on Special Enrollment Period rules.

HealthCare.gov vs Get Covered Illinois