Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace Rates to Rise Nearly 29% in 2026 (Chicago, IL) – Illinois residents shopping for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace will face steep cost increases in 2026, with state officials reporting an average rate hike of 28.8 percent compared with last year.
The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) announced Thursday that the increases mirror national trends, with insurers raising rates across the country as enhanced federal premium tax credits (ePTCs) are set to expire at the end of 2025. Those credits have significantly lowered monthly premiums for millions of Americans since they were introduced.
According to IDOI, if Congress were to extend the credits, the average increase in Illinois would be about 10 percentage points lower, bringing the statewide average to 18.5 percent. Without action, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 2.2 million more Americans will be uninsured in 2026, while average out-of-pocket costs are projected to rise by 75 percent, according to Peterson-KFF.
More than 550,000 Illinoisans enrolled in marketplace plans last year, and about 90 percent of them received enhanced tax credits to help pay premiums.
“This is not just an Illinois problem—it’s happening nationwide,” said IDOI Director Ann Gillespie. “The Trump administration’s harmful policies will leave more Americans uninsured, which increases costs for everyone. Extending enhanced premium tax credits is a simple way to provide some relief for consumers.”
Nationwide, insurers are proposing an average premium increase of about 20 percent for 2026, with some plans going up by 30 percent or more. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 40 percent of insurers have requested rate hikes of at least 20 percent.
IDOI pointed to several factors driving the increases, including:
- The expiration of federal premium tax credits.
- Provisions in the Trump administration’s budget bill that roll back Medicaid coverage.
- New federal eligibility rules under the “Marketplace Integrity and Affordability” rule, which restrict access to coverage and add administrative hurdles.
- Rising inflation and health care costs.
Despite the increases, Gillespie stressed that consumers should review all plan options, as rates vary widely by location and plan type. The rates released this week are preliminary and do not reflect the final costs after subsidies are applied.
Illinois residents will also face another change this fall: starting November 1, enrollment will shift from Healthcare.gov to the new state-run Get Covered Illinois platform. Open enrollment will run through January 15, 2026.
To help with the transition, Get Covered Illinois is expanding its resources. Certified navigators and brokers across the state will provide free enrollment assistance, and a new customer assistance center and website will launch on October 1.
“Ensuring Illinoisans can get clear information and guidance during open enrollment is our top priority,” Gillespie said.
Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace Rates to Rise Nearly 29% in 2026
