How to Sign Up for Health Insurance

Do you need health coverage but don’t know where to start? You can visit bcbsil.com to view and compare all our family and individual health plans, including the plans we offer on the Health Insurance Marketplace.

In most cases, you can only sign up for a health insurance plan during the open enrollment period, from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15. Sign up by December 15 for coverage starting on January 1. Any other time, you can sign up if you have a change that qualifies you for a new plan during a special enrollment period. During this time, you can apply for a BCBSIL Individual health plan for yourself or your family. 

You’ll have three options when you are ready to enroll:

1. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois: Shop Online or Call
   You can sign up for health insurance online using our shopping site. You can also call us at 877-731-4649. You’ll be able to compare all BCBSIL plans, including the plans we offer on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
2. A licensed insurance agent
   An agent can help you find the plan that's best for you. And since agents are paid by insurers based on the plans they sell, there is no charge to you for their help.
3. The Health Insurance Marketplace
   If you think you may qualify for help with the cost of getting covered, you can shop on the federal government website, the Health Insurance Marketplace. The marketplace allows you to shop, compare and buy plans offered by participating health insurance companies who offer plans in your area. You can apply for a subsidy to help pay your premiums. You can also see if you qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP through the Marketplace. 

Before you sign up for health insurance, search our site for these and other articles about preparing to buy a plan.

• Get tips on comparing all your health insurance choices by price, benefits and other features that may be important to you.
• Learn why it’s important to make sure your doctors are in-network for the plans you are exploring. You can also use our Provider Finder to check. Find out what information you’ll need before you can start the process.
• Check the key dates, so you don’t miss any deadlines.

If you have questions, we can help. Call 877-731-4649 or scroll through our enrollment guide. 

Come back after you’ve enrolled and share how the experience went. We always like to hear how we’re doing and ways we can improve.

Original publish date: December 11, 2014, Revised 2019 - 2021