5 Documents Illinoisans Should Have Ready Before Enrolling Through Get Covered Illinois
You sit down to enroll in health coverage, and the application asks for a paper you can’t find.
Open enrollment began Nov. 1, and a little prep now can save you a scramble later.
Here are the documents you should have ready before enrolling through Get Covered Illinois.
Note: This is general information, not insurance advice. Enrollment dates and document rules are subject to change, so confirm the current requirements with Get Covered Illinois.
1. Proof of Income
How you earn money decides which income proof the Get Covered Illinois help center accepts.
The marketplace’s FAQ also lists projected income information among what you’ll need when you enroll.
Proof of income comes into play if the marketplace requests documentation.
When it asks about job income, pay stubs should show gross pay and cover the four weeks before the date on your notice.
A W-2 or a 1099 works too.
So does a signed, dated earnings statement from your employer, as long as it lists the company’s contact information and your gross pay.
For self-employment, the help center asks for ledger documentation with your name, your company’s name and the income amount, plus the dates it covers and your net profit or loss.
The net income documentation can also be a Schedule C or the most recent quarterly or year-to-date profit and loss statement.
Illinois unemployment benefits have a separate list, including an award letter and a monthly benefits statement from the Illinois Department of Labor.
For Social Security benefits, an award letter dated within the last year counts.
Rental income can be shown with rent checks, a current lease or a signed letter from your tenant stating the monthly rent.
If you work a seasonal job, your proof should also show how long the job lasts.
2. Your Latest Tax Return
Your most recent tax returns are among the items Get Covered Illinois lists for enrollment.
The help center also accepts a 1040 federal or state tax return from the previous year, if it’s representative of the income you reported.
The Social Security number list takes a federal or state 1040 too.
One return, three uses.
3. Social Security Cards
Social Security numbers lead the Get Covered Illinois FAQ’s list of what you’ll need for you and your household, if you have one.
If you need to verify a number, the help center says you can send any document on its list.
A Social Security card is one of them.
It isn’t the only option.
The list also takes a W-2 or 1099, a pay stub, a W-4 and Social Security Administration documentation.
Whatever you send has to include your first name, last name and Social Security number.
If you changed your name, a divorce decree or a court order granting a name change is on the list too.
The court order has to show your original name, your new name and your Social Security number.
Psst! How much do you know about health insurance marketplaces? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Marketplace Trivia
Answer nine questions on health insurance marketplace plans, premiums and forms. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Under federal rules, insurers selling Marketplace plans can charge older people up to how many times what they charge younger people?
4. Immigration Status Proof
The Get Covered Illinois FAQ lists immigration documents if they apply to you.
To enroll, you have to live in Illinois and be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national or a lawfully present non-citizen.
If the marketplace asks you to verify your immigration status, the help center says you can send any document on its list.
The Employment Authorization Card is on it.
So are a foreign passport and an Arrival/Departure Record, known as Form I-94.
A Reentry Permit and a Refugee Travel Document count as well.
An alien registration number or an I-94 number is listed too.
Citizenship Papers, If Get Covered Illinois Asks
Get Covered Illinois accepts citizenship documents from U.S. citizens in two ways, one document or two.
One document is enough, such as a U.S. passport, a naturalization certificate or a citizenship certificate.
Otherwise, you can send proof of birth in the U.S., such as a U.S. birth certificate, plus an identity document, such as a state driver's license or ID card.
5. Employer Coverage Letter
Your employer is one of the details you'll give Get Covered Illinois when you enroll.
If the marketplace asks for proof that you don't have job-based coverage, the help center accepts a letter or other documentation from your employer.
The help center lists three statements an employer can provide.
One says the employer doesn't currently offer you or your family member coverage.
Another says the plan doesn't provide qualifying health coverage.
The last shows your share of the premium for the lowest-cost self-only plan that meets the minimum value standard, if one is offered.
A letter from your health insurer confirming your coverage and its expiration dates also works for coverage you got outside the marketplace.
What Happens After You Apply
Get Covered Illinois is required by law to verify the information on your application.
Some information is verified automatically, but when it isn't, the marketplace requests documentation.
The most common checks involve household income, citizenship, lawful presence and qualifying life events, according to the marketplace's submitting documents page.
Your notice says what can be submitted.
Each documentation request has a deadline.
If you don't submit requested documents by then, you can lose your financial help or health insurance coverage.
To submit online, you log in to your account, open the Verification & Documents tab, upload your documents and click Submit.
Items on that tab with red exclamation points need action, the page says.
Psst! Do you have your documents ready? Run through this checklist and see where you stand.
When Open Enrollment Starts
Get Covered Illinois announced in an Aug. 17, 2026 news release that open enrollment begins Nov. 1, 2026.
The first enrollment deadline has moved before.
For 2026 coverage, the help center said to enroll by Dec. 15 for coverage starting Jan. 1.
The marketplace then extended that deadline to Dec. 31, according to a state release.
Outside open enrollment, a special enrollment period can let you enroll after a qualifying life event, such as losing coverage, getting married, having a baby or moving.
Free Help With Get Covered Illinois Documents
Get Covered Illinois lists free enrollment assistance from navigators and brokers on its submitting documents page.
Its August release says free, one-on-one enrollment assistance is available statewide from certified navigators and licensed brokers.
You can also reach the Customer Assistance Center at 1-866-311-1119.
FAQ
What documents do I need for Get Covered Illinois?
The Get Covered Illinois frequently asked questions page lists Social Security numbers if you have one, birth dates and your employer.
It also lists projected income information, your most recent tax returns and immigration documents if they apply.
The marketplace may request more documentation after you submit your application.
Do I have to upload documents when I apply?
Not always, since Get Covered Illinois verifies some information automatically and requests documentation when it can't.
How do I submit documents to Get Covered Illinois?
Log in to your account, open the Verification & Documents tab, upload your documents and click Submit.
Questions about documentation go to the Customer Assistance Center at 1-866-311-1119.
What happens if I miss a document deadline?
You can lose your financial help or health insurance coverage.
Each documentation request has a deadline.
Who can enroll through Get Covered Illinois?
You have to live in Illinois and not be incarcerated.
You also have to be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national or a lawfully present non-citizen.
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