Ann Gillespie, Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance | https://idoi.illinois.gov/
The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) has announced the 2026 plan year rates for the Get Covered Illinois Marketplace. The department reports a statewide weighted average rate increase of 28.8 percent for individual health insurance plans compared to last year.
This rise follows national trends, with similar increases observed across other states. The IDOI attributes the higher rates primarily to the expiration of federal enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs), which had previously helped lower costs and drive enrollment growth. According to estimates, if Congress were to extend these tax credits, the average rate increase in Illinois could be about 10 percentage points lower, at roughly 18.5 percent.
The Congressional Budget Office projects that allowing ePTCs to expire would result in an additional 2.2 million uninsured Americans in 2026 and an average increase of 75% in out-of-pocket costs for Americans, based on analysis from Peterson KFF.
Federal data shows that since November 1, 2024, approximately 550,000 Illinois residents enrolled in Get Covered Illinois Marketplace plans, with about 90 percent receiving enhanced premium tax credits to help reduce monthly premiums.
A nationwide analysis by Peterson KFF found that ACA Marketplace insurers are raising premiums by an average of about 20% for the upcoming year, with states seeing a median increase of around 18 percent. Of marketplace insurers nationally, forty percent are proposing increases of at least 20 percent; more than fifty plans are increasing rates by over thirty percent.
IDOI identified several factors contributing to rising health insurance rates: President Trump’s budget bill removing people from Medicaid and increasing the number of uninsured; expiration of federal enhanced premium tax credits; new federal rules restricting coverage eligibility and raising administrative complexity; as well as inflation and general cost increases.
“The Trump Administration’s harmful policies will leave more Americans uninsured which increases costs for everyone,” said IDOI Director Ann Gillespie. “Illinois is one of many states seeing significant increases in marketplace rates, and we’ve voiced our support for the extension of enhanced premium tax credits in a signed letter to Congress from State Based Marketplaces and in joining all states in approving the NAIC letter to Congress. Ensuring that enhanced premium tax credits are extended for the 2026 plan year is a simple way to provide some relief for consumers desperately seeking health insurance coverage on the marketplace in Illinois and nationwide. We are hopeful that Congress will make the right decision to preserve the tax credits.”
Some plan rates may decrease while others will increase depending on benefit options selected by consumers. Rates posted online serve as part of ACA requirements but do not represent final consumer prices after benefits are applied.
For open enrollment beginning November 1, those previously enrolled through Healthcare.gov will transition to Get Covered Illinois Marketplace coverage for plan year 2026. The state has trained certified navigators available throughout communities offering free assistance with enrollment; customers can also access certified brokers at no cost.
A newly designed website will launch alongside a Customer Assistance Center on October 1 to provide information and answer questions ahead of open enrollment running from November 1, 2025 through January 15, 2026.
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