Anyone, 6 months of age and older, is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Find your nearest vaccination location at vaccines.gov.
January 31, 2023 — The final record-breaking numbers for the 2023 Open Enrollment Period (OEP) reveal that nationwide, more than 16.3 million people selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan (November 1, 2022, through January 15, 2023). That number includes 3.6 million consumers who are new to the ACA Marketplace, representing a 21% increase in first-time plan selections over last year.
January 13, 2023 — The last day of the Open Enrollment Period for the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace is Sunday, January 15, 2023. An extra month was added again this year, allowing people more time to purchase health insurance coverage. Federal CMS enrollment numbers show that 332,460 Illinoisians have selected ACA Marketplace plans since the start of Open Enrollment on November 1, and the total number of Americans who signed up for coverage is nearly 15.9 million.
January 11, 2023 — The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) announced today a $500,000 fine for Quartz Health Insurance Corporation for violating the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) as revealed in the Department's comprehensive market conduct examination of the company. MHPAEA is the federal law requiring health insurance plans to have equivalent levels of coverage for mental health and substance use disorder care as for medical or surgical care, and Illinois law further expands upon those requirements.
November 1, 2022 — Today is the start of Open Enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace that runs from November 1, 2022, through January 15, 2023. Once again, Illinoisans will benefit from having an additional month to enroll, just as they did last year. The Illinois Department of Insurance also released health insurance rates for the 2023 Plan Year, announcing that there are eleven issuers offering ACA Marketplace plans. There were eleven issuers in plan year 2022, eight issuers in plan year 2021, and five in plan year 2020.
October 18, 2022 - The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) announced today a $1.25 million fine for Celtic Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, for violating the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act (NATA), as revealed in the Department's comprehensive market conduct examination of the company.
October 13, 2022 — The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) will now require that insurance companies licensed to write business in the state complete an annual survey detailing the risks of climate change to their business operations, assets, and investments, as well as their plans to address those risks. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)* Climate Risk and Resiliency Task Force recently updated the disclosure survey to align with the standard set by the international Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
October 5, 2022 — Today, the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) announced its signature on a letter from 21 state Departments of Insurance to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, urging finalization of proposed rulemaking to amend regulations that implement Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. According to the signed letter, the proposed rule, as outlined in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, would promote civil rights protections for millions of health insurance consumers, ensure a level playing field for regulated entities, and enhance state insurance markets. Illinois remains at the forefront in states' efforts to ensure federal protections under Section 1557, having previously signed a similar letter in 2020 from state insurance regulators which noted concerns with the Trump Administration's elimination of explicit nondiscrimination protections based on sex, including gender identity and sex stereotyping.
September 27, 2022 — If you believe that you’re the beneficiary of a deceased relative’s lost or missing life insurance policy, but you don’t know where to start your search, the Illinois Department of Insurance can help. This year, IDOI has already helped consumers find and collect more than $7.9 million from lost or unclaimed life insurance policies, using our Life Policy Locator. “When families lose a loved one, it’s a sad, stressful time and searching for a lost life insurance policy is an added burden,” said IDOI Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. “We encourage anyone trying to find unclaimed benefits to use our life policy locator service to get the funds that they deserve.”
August 23, 2022 — The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) issued Company Bulletin 2022-15 today to reaffirm guidance for Illinois-licensed health insurance issuers about the coverage of reproductive health care services for state-regulated private health insurance plans. "We're putting health insurers on notice that Illinois law remains unchanged regarding coverage for abortion services and contraceptives," said IDOI Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. "We want people in our state to know that their right to make decisions about their reproductive health is protected, and we expect insurers regulated by the Department to continue complying with all state and federal laws related to nondiscrimination in health care services."
August 11, 2022 — The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) table is in the Lieutenant Governor’s tent at the 2022 Illinois State Fair. IDOI staff will provide information about various types of insurance, from health and homeowners to auto and life. “Our Get Covered Illinois team will share information about Special Enrollment Periods for the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace, and IDOI staff will give general tips about property insurance coverage, including flood insurance,” said IDOI Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. “We’re looking forward to engaging with Illinois insurance consumers at the state fair this year.”
July 5, 2022 — As we build on Illinois' nation-leading abortion protections and access, it is essential to bring lawmakers and advocates into the room to continue to work together. In the coming weeks, as the ripples of the decision to overturn Roe are felt throughout the nation, we expect to get an acute sense of our needs and how Illinois can play an even more vital role in standing up for reproductive freedom. We plan to work closely together for the remainder of the summer to assess every possibility of what we can do and convene a special session in the coming months.
July 01, 2022 — The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) released data on auto insurance premiums paid by Illinois consumers to insurance companies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2021). The data collected from companies included claims and losses. IDOI is pursuing legislation with members of the General Assembly to increase transparency and accountability in its work to regulate insurance companies.
May 26, 2022 – Governor Pritzker today signed HB4703, SB3910, and HB0836 into law to increase protections and access for Illinois health insurance consumers. These bills help implement fair and transparent billing practices and provide better access to information about enrollment options. "Healthcare is a right—not a privilege, and surprise medical billing further deters Illinoisans from getting the care they need," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Since day one, my administration has worked to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare. We capped the price of insulin, reduced the Medicaid backlog, and enacted the Health Care Affordability Act. I am proud to sign these bills into law to further that crucial work and ensure consumers are protected in the medical billing process."
March 24, 2022 – In an effort to improve consumer protections in health care and hold health insurance companies accountable, the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) worked closely with Representative Sue Scherer and Senator Doris Turner on legislation to further enhance consumer protections within the state’s Network Adequacy Transparency Act (NATA). The landmark law ensures consumers have access to a network of health insurance providers that meets proper time and distance standards. HB5729
March 21, 2022 – For the first time ever, the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) announced today fines totaling $339,000 for Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, for violating the material change notice requirement in the state’s Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Network adequacy filings are an important tool to help ensure that consumers have access to a network of providers that meets proper time and distance standards. This is critical to ensuring that patients have access to care that they need.
