CHICAGO, Ill. – The number of Illinois residents who signed up for health insurance through the federal Affordable Care Act was helped greatly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. They say 54,000 people signed up from mid-February to mid-March, when a special enrollment period was in effect. That’s more than double those who enrolled during the same period in previous years.
“The ACA marketplace includes ten essential health benefits that most people need and want, including preventive care, and the ability to cover people even if they have pre-existing conditions,” said Laura Pellikan, the Executive Director of “Get Covered Illinois,”
Pellikan claims Illinois residents enrolled in the plan save an average of $77 a month on premiums.
“Having the ability to sign up without special qualifications really helped a lot of people, especially during the pandemic, because there were just so many things going on with people’s job loss and additional health issues,” said Pellikan.
The next ACA enrollment period is in November.