Expert guides about medicare in Illinois from Brevy Care.
If your Illinois MMAI plan was from Aetna, Humana, Meridian or Molina, the default was automatic enrollment by CMS in that company's new plan on January 1, 2026.
If a doctor's office told you, or a parent you help, to "call SHIP," it means the Illinois Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP), free statewide counseling for people on Medicare.
Illinois has a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) "birthday rule," but it is narrower than the one you may have read about in other states.
Medicare in Illinois follows the federal rules, but the state adds two things: free counseling through Illinois SHIP and a 45-day yearly window to change Medigap plans without a health screening.