IL Health Insurance Articles & Info

As any budding business owner will agree, launching a new company can be as exciting as it is mentally exhausting.  The list of tasks and responsibilities that must be taken into consideration is nothing short of extraordinary, and overlooking even one can impact the success of the company well into...

Between new COVID variants, RSV and one of the nastiest cold & flu seasons we’ve seen in years, it’s been an unusually trying winter—even among healthy individuals who rarely get sick.  Many of the more common symptoms seemed to linger longer than most people are accustomed to, and illness re-occurr...

Coming to terms with the loss of a job is stressful enough on its own.  But when losing your job also results in the loss of your employer-provided health insurance, the effects can feel far more catastrophic.  This is especially relevant for older individuals, those with families, and individuals w...

With the 2024 health insurance Open Enrollment in full swing, many families and individuals will find themselves shopping for medical insurance on their own for the first time.  And as with previous years, there’s no shortage of plan changes and new coverage options to keep things interesting.  If y...

If you’re an Illinois resident who needs to purchase a new health insurance plan, or alter your existing coverage, the 2024 Open Enrollment period begins on November 1st 2023 and will run until January 15th.  And while the dates are consistent to those over the past few years, there will be a number...

Renewing a group health plan is, as anyone charged with the task will surely agree, a complex and often frustrating process.  There are dozens and sometime hundreds of forms to fill out, various rates and coverage options to consider, and budgetary restraints which can make finding an affordable pla...

For as long as people have been getting health insurance through their jobs, many find themselves questioning whether or not the plan, as selected by their employer, best meets their unique health and medical needs.  The process of choosing a group health plan can be nothing short of mentally exhaus...

Thanks to the seemingly endless stream of life insurance commercials that flood our airwaves and digital media, no one needs to be further reminded on the importance of having life insurance.  What can be helpful, however, is to know the core differences between the various types of life insurance p...

Whether for ourselves or for a loved one, many people are shocked to learn just how expensive things like hospice, in-home care, nursing homes and assisted living facilities can be.  On average, the annual cost of a nursing home can range from $40,000 to $70,000, while assisted living centers can ru...

Once you have a health insurance plan that provides ample coverage for your needs and the needs of your loved ones, it can be easy to simply forget about it.  After all, how much time do any of us really need to spend thinking about our healthcare coverage?  Still, this raises an interesting point,...

Regardless of whether you recently left your job, underwent a significant life change, or turned 26 and are no longer eligible under your parent’s policy, shopping for health insurance on your own for the first time can be a bit overwhelming.  The healthcare industry is more complex than ever before...

There’s no shortage of reasons for someone to miss the 6-week open health insurance enrollment that runs from November to mid-December, and we’ll explore several of these more closely later in the article.  But when you do, in fact, find yourself without health insurance early into the new year,...

If you or a loved one will be turning 65 in 2023, the Medicare Open Enrollment period will begin on October 15th and run until December 7, 2022.  While many are familiar with the process of signing up for Medicare, for many it can be a confusing process that comes with no shortage of questions.  At...

When you’ve had the same health insurance plan for any extended period of time, it can be easy to forget about it until you actually need it.  Or, until you discover a consistent pattern of premium increases, variables in your deductible, hospital/physician network changes, and so on.  And when you...

The stretch between April and November is, understandably, one of the most popular times for companies to renew their group health plans.  There’s no real science to account for this.  It’s simply a matter of timing, and something that can be attributed back to the month when they first began offeri...

With the health insurance Open Enrollment period serving as the new norm, many have been left wondering what they're supposed to do if they missed the enrollment deadline, but don’t want to go without quality medical coverage throughout the summer months?  Here are a few suitable options for those i...

One of the most frequently voiced concerns we hear from our group health insurance customers, is how substantially premiums have increased for employee health benefits.  And they couldn’t be more right.  Just when a business begins to get comfortable with their new premiums, find themselves shocked...

Even for those who have experience shopping for health insurance, the process has become increasingly complicated over the past few years.  There are more plans to choose from, new carriers entering the market, subsidy options, constantly-evolving compliance regulations to consider, and much more. ...

It makes no difference whether you’re an individual, a family or a thriving local business, when it comes to keeping your health insurance premiums manageable, there are a few things that everyone needs to know before committing to a healthcare plan.  This is especially true for those who are buying...

Starting a new businesses is one of the most exciting, and subsequently terrifying things an individual can do in this lifetime.  And regardless of your chosen industry, if you’re planning on offering health insurance benefits to your employees, there are a number of things to keep in mind before ma...

Starting a new business is, ironically enough, one of the scariest and most rewarding things a person can do in this lifetime.  The freedom of working for yourself provides great feelings of accomplishment, yet at the same time, the newfound responsibilities can be unpredictably overwhelming during...

The annual health insurance Open Enrollment period will begin on Monday November 1st 2021 and end on January 15th 2022.  As with previous years, this year will bring a variety of changes and new plan options.  Keep in mind that in order to have active coverage on the first of the upcoming month, you...

As many employers in Illinois have learned, COBRA continuation health insurance has changed dramatically in response to the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARP).  As of the time of this writing, any employee who did not leave their position voluntarily is now eligible to receive free COBRA (or Illino...

For those who have been wondering whether or not it was possible to purchase health insurance under the 2021 Special Enrollment Period (SEP), it was recently announced that enrollment has been extended until August 15, 2021.  The decision was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, moreover to ac...

Effective April 1st 2021, under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, many individuals and families who did not previously qualify for health insurance subsides (on account of earning a higher income) will now qualify for a healthcare subsidy, which could significantly lower their monthly health ins...

It was announced in March that Indy Health Insurance Company, a standalone Medicare Part-D provider serving Illinois and several other states, had been immediately terminated. As a result of this cancellation, and as a measure of preventing coverage gaps, a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) was initia...

From February 15th to May 15th, 2021 In accordance with an Executive Order issued by President Biden, the formation of a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) has been declared for individuals and families, in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency which has left millions of Americans facing...

Considering the vast scope of everything that’s taken place in 2020, it’s understandable that this year’s health insurance open enrollment has an all new element of importance to it.  Here are some of the most important dates for those in need of medical insurance, including Medicare for those turni...

Enrollment for 2021 Medicare plans begins on October 15th and will run until December 7th 2020.  As with past enrollment periods, there are some plan changes that are new for 2021, including a few which have been implemented to help beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a complex topic...

One of the less talked-about aspects of COVID-19 and its effect on commerce, is the profound impact it is having on businesses who are in the process of group health plan renewals.  We’ve all heard about the layoffs, the furloughs, and the temporary closures, though there seems to be limited discuss...