Illinois Medicare Supplement Plans

Chicago and its collar counties carry the deepest competition in the state, and the downstate rate areas price higher for the same letter. Because so many carriers file here, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive Plan G quote at the same age is often several hundred dollars a year.

Attained-age rating still applies, so premiums climb with age. The birthday rule does not change that arithmetic, but it does change who bears the risk of a carrier getting greedy: you can leave without underwriting, so choosing on price and increase history is safer here than almost anywhere.

Illinois requires insurers to offer a Medicare supplement without medical underwriting during the 45 days beginning on your birthday, for the letter you already hold or a lesser benefit plan, with your current carrier or an affiliate of it. It is not a right to upgrade from Plan G to Plan F, and it is not a right to any carrier you like at any moment. The window also closes at age 75.

The practical approach is to request quotes about six weeks before your birthday and to know exactly which letter you hold. Used deliberately, the rule is the best consumer protection in the state's Medigap market.

Advantage enrollment is heavy in Chicago and the Metro East, while the supplement market runs strongest through the central and southern counties. That split keeps the supplement pool older and more stable than a guaranteed-issue state's pool, which is one reason Illinois premiums land near the national middle.

The Illinois Department of Insurance publishes rate filings and complaint information, and SHIP counselors at the Department on Aging review quotes at no cost. Ask them to confirm the current birthday rule mechanics, since carriers apply the timing differently by a few weeks.