Best Medicare Supplement Plans in Illinois 2024
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Illinois has about 2.4 million Medicare beneficiaries — the seventh highest among the states for enrollment. Nearly 1.4 million of those beneficiaries have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
Illinois residents with Medicare Part A and Part B can purchase Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, to help cover certain out-of-pocket expenses like copays, coinsurance and deductibles left over after Medicare pays for covered services. About 765,000 people in Illinois had Medigap coverage as of the end of 2022.
Here’s what you need to know about finding the best Medigap policy for you in Illinois.
Compare the best Medicare Supplement plans in Illinois
Most popular Medigap plan types in Illinois
There are 10 standard Medigap plan types available in Illinois (Plan C and Plan F aren’t available for new Medicare members). However, nearly 95% of Medigap members in Illinois are in one of the three most popular types.
Here are Illinois’ top three most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plan types:
47% have Medigap Plan F — the most comprehensive coverage of any Medigap plan.
40% have Medigap Plan G — the highest-coverage option available to new Medicare members.
7% have Medigap Plan N — a plan with lower premiums but higher copays.
Medigap Plan F isn’t available to Medicare beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020. Medigap Plan G is the most similar option available to all Medicare beneficiaries.
Top Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in Illinois
The government regulates Medigap plans, but private insurance companies sell them. Here are the five most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in Illinois as of the end of 2022:
Insurance company | Share of Illinois Medigap members |
|---|---|
42.6%. | |
15.1%. | |
14.4%. | |
4. Aetna | 6.9%. |
5. Country Life Insurance Company | 2.3%. |
Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Illinois
It’s worth comparing companies to find the lowest price for your chosen plan. The benefits of each Medigap plan are standardized, so you get the same Medicare benefits regardless of the company you choose.
Here are the prices for Medigap Plan G and Plan N, the most popular plans available for new Medicare members, from the five Medigap companies with the most members in Illinois.
The table below shows price estimates for a 65-year-old female nonsmoker in Chicago as filed with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (Note: Some Medigap prices may be higher for males.)
Insurance company | Plan G monthly premiums | Plan N monthly premiums |
|---|---|---|
AARP/UnitedHealthcare | $123. | $88. |
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois | $138. | $113. |
Mutual of Omaha | $144. | $99. |
Country Life Insurance Company | $166. | Not offered. |
Aetna | $167. | $113. |
For reference, here are the lowest premiums available from any company for the two plans in Chicago, according to the Medicare plan finding tool:
Medigap Plan G: $116 per month.
Medigap Plan N: $87 per month.
Medicare resources in Illinois
Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP): Provides free health insurance counseling services and information resources for Medicare members and their caregivers in Illinois.
Illinois Department on Aging: Administers services, provides resources and advocates for older Illinoisans and their caregivers.
Illinois Area Agencies on Aging: Coordinate local and regional services and programs for older adults in partnership with state and local agencies and service providers.
Find the right Medicare Supplement Insurance plan
Because Medigap plans are standardized, you can get precisely the same Medicare benefits from any company offering the plan. So when you shop, keep these considerations in mind to find the best policy to fit your needs:
Is your preferred plan available? Health insurance companies don’t always sell every plan, so check who sells the plan you want to buy in your area.
What are the premiums? Prices for the same plan can vary between companies, so check to find the most competitive rates.
Will your premiums change over time? Most policies cost more as you age, but some companies offer policies that let you lock in a price when you sign up.
Are there extras? Medigap plans’ core benefits are standardized, but in certain cases, some companies include such perks as discount programs or gym memberships.
Medicare Supplement Insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) ratings are based on pricing, discounts, plan types offered, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, consumer experience, additional perks and benefits, and more. To calculate each health insurance company's rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale, rounded to the nearest half star.
NerdWallet reviewed 13 Medicare Supplement Insurance companies based on highest enrollment and greatest online search volume. At the national level, our scored reviews include companies covering about two-thirds of all Medigap beneficiaries. At the state level, our research includes at least one of the two largest Medigap insurance companies in 48 of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for Medicare Supplement Insurance.
Insurer complaints methodology
We examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, we calculated a similar index for each insurance company, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary. We score companies based on this index of how many complaints the company receives relative to its market share. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.
This roundup includes only insurance companies that sell Medicare Supplement Insurance in Illinois.
