Illinois residents shopping for health insurance just got a little breathing room. The state’s new, state-run marketplace, Get Covered Illinois, announced Monday that open enrollment is now extended to Jan. 31, giving people more than two extra weeks to lock in coverage. Plans chosen by that new deadline will start Feb. 1, 2026.
The agency says the move tacks 16 days onto the open-enrollment period and comes with longer hours at its Customer Assistance Center to handle the last-minute rush. “We are seeing record numbers of customers finding more affordable coverage,” Get Covered Illinois director Morgan Winters said in the announcement. The marketplace is also leaning on a network of more than 140 navigators and roughly 9,000 brokers across the state who offer free, one-on-one help, according to Get Covered Illinois.
Why the extension matters
The extra time is not just a courtesy. Premiums have jumped after enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expired at the end of 2025, leaving many shoppers staring down sharply higher monthly bills, according to CBS Chicago. State and hospital officials have warned that the lapse could push roughly 100,000 Illinoisans out of marketplace coverage, and safety-net hospitals say they are bracing for an uptick in uninsured patients, local reporting shows. Those alarms helped spur the decision to keep enrollment open a little longer so people can compare plans and tap help from navigators and brokers, WTTW reported.
What's happening in Washington
While Illinois tweaks its own timeline, the real drama is playing out in Congress. On Jan. 8 the U.S. House approved a three-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credits in a 230-to-196 vote, with 17 Republicans crossing the aisle to join Democrats. The measure now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain, The Washington Post reported.
That back-and-forth has left states and consumers trying to make enrollment decisions while the size of next year’s subsidies is still being debated in Washington.
How to sign up and get help
Residents can enroll online at GetCoveredIllinois.gov or by calling the Customer Assistance Center at 1-866-311-1119 (TTY: 711). The site notes that anyone who signs up by Jan. 31 will have coverage that begins Feb. 1.
Free help is available statewide from trained navigators and licensed brokers who can walk people through plan options, check eligibility for financial assistance and help compare costs.
What to watch next
The Senate could still pursue a different compromise on the tax credits, and the White House has signaled it may veto certain versions of an extension, a combination that could significantly change premiums and consumer relief, Reuters reports. For now, state officials are telling Illinois residents not to wait on Washington and to take advantage of the extended enrollment window while it is on the table, since any federal fix is still up in the air.
