The state of Illinois takes very good care of the insurance needs of its citizens. There are public as well as private insurance policies, with different options to suits all kinds of people and their requirements.

Illinois health insurance policies can be classified as PPOs, HMOs, traditional individual and family coverage, children’s health insurance plans, and insurance for people over 65 years of age. Some other specific plans are short-term health insurance, dental plans, Illinois HSA Qualified High Deductible Insurance Quotes Individual and Family, small group health insurance plans, senior health insurance, employer-based group health insurance plans, international travel health insurance plans, student health insurance plans, disability insurance, kid’s health insurance, and the CHIP (comprehensive health insurance program).

Illinois has special insurance polices such as Illinois Medicaid, KidCare, and Illinois Department of Aging - Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, for people who have been denied insurance by regular insurance companies. The Illinois CHIP (Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan) is a state program for people who qualify for coverage under sections 7 or 15 of the CHIP Act. There are three plans under this: Plan 2, Plan 3 and Plan 5. Each plan has deductibles of $500, $1,000, $1,500, $2,500, and $5,000. Plan 2 is available to eligible persons who are enrolled in both Parts A and B of Medicare due to disability or end-stage renal disease, since they are ineligible for all other CHIP benefit plans. Plan 3 is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan available only to eligible persons who qualify for traditional CHIP under Section 7 and are not eligible for Medicare. Plan 5 is also a PPO plan available only to federally eligible individuals who qualify for HIPAA-CHIP under Section 15.

Some companies are also offering the guaranteed acceptance medical plans for Illinois residents. The monthly premiums vary according to the age of the enrollee and the number of people being insured. The premiums range from $69.35 for a single 30-year old person to $506.23 for a family in which the enrollee is in the age group of 60-64 years. Other kinds of plans are short-term plans, group plans for employers, tax advantaged health savings accounts and Qualified High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). Some of the most popular Illinois health insurance companies are: UniCare, Anthem, Blue Cross /Blue Shield of Illinois, Humana One, Fortis Short-Term Medical, Celtic, American Medical Security and Fortis Student Select.

While selecting a health insurance policy, understand various terms like the premium to be paid, the limits of liability, the coverage provided, the policy limits, benefits, deductibles, and terms of insurance. Other aspects include co-insurance, co-payments, out-of-pocket expenses, exclusions, lifetime maximum, waiting period, coordination of benefits, grace period and so on. The choice of doctors, specialist care, pre-existing conditions, emergency and hospital care, regular physicals and health screenings, prescription drug coverage, obstetrician/gynecologist coverage, costs and additional services should also be considered. Also get to know the policy’s coverage for planned hospitalizations as well as emergency care.

Other aspects to be taken into account while choosing a health insurance plan are how the plan handles physical examinations and health screenings, vision care, and dental services; what is the care and counseling for mental health; what are the services for drug and alcohol abuse; is there ongoing care for chronic and long-term diseases; does it cover physical therapy and rehabilitative care; does it cover nursing home, home health and hospice care; does it cover alternative medical care like acupuncture; does it cover experimental treatments and therapies, and so on.

Ken Marlborough