Open enrollment has begun. How IL, MO residents can secure health insurance for 2023
Open enrollment through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace began Tuesday, and Illinois and Missouri residents can take steps to prepare, review plans and pricing and more.
The marketplace is designed for people who do not already have health insurance through a job, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicare or Medicaid. You may be eligible if you live in the U.S., are a American citizen or national or are “lawfully present” and are not incarcerated.
Enrollment for 2023 coverage runs Nov. 1 to Jan. 15, 2023, and if you enroll by Dec. 15 your coverage should kick in Jan. 1.
You can also apply for health coverage for the rest of 2022 if you qualify for a special enrollment period. Those who have lost other coverage, moved, gotten married, had a baby or qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program may be eligible to enroll mid-year.
If you need to secure health coverage for the remainder of this year, you can use an online eligibility calculator from the federal government to see if you qualify for a special enrollment period.
How can you prepare for open enrollment?
To apply, you’ll need personal information, information about people in your household, income information and more. A list of required documents can be found online. You can estimate your expected income using an online calculator.
You can estimate whether you may be eligible to qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and/or lower marketplace premiums using an online calculator.
How can you enroll starting Nov. 1?
Both Illinois and Missouri use the federal exchange at healthcare.gov.
Starting Nov. 1, you can apply for marketplace health care insurance through healthcare.gov or through an approved enrollment partner. You can also use a paper application, apply through phone or find help locally.
Plan pricing varies based on your age, household size and income. You can enter this information to estimate a more accurate plan or you can view full-price plans online.
