Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Supplement Review

In the state of Illinois, there are many different Medicare Supplement companies to choose from.

Today, I’m going to focus on one, and that’s probably the largest one in the state – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. I will show you its unique offerings with Plan G and Plan N that separate it from most competitors on the market.

Hi, my name is Mark Prip. I’ve been helping people find the right Medicare plan for over 15 years.

Throughout this page, I’ll include:

• BCBS of Illinois overview
• Types of plans offered
• Medigap premiums
• Price comparisons
• Premium discounts
• BCBS vs. other Medigap companies
• My final thoughts

Let’s jump right in.

BCBS of Illinois: Medigap Overview

Let’s start with a quick overview of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois plans. They’ve got unique Plan G and Plan N options, which we’ll dive into a bit more soon.

They offer Medigap plans A, G, N, and F, but in this article, I will focus on the two most popular options: Plan G and Plan N.

They also offer three prescription drug plans that you can add to your Medicare Supplement benefits.

Now, let’s get right into the details and cover the uniqueness of their Plan G offerings and Plan N. 

BCBS of Illinois: Plan G Options

Starting at #1 is the standard Plan G. I say standard because that means the features and benefits are the same Plan G benefits with Blue Cross of Illinois as they are with Aetna, Cigna, Mutual of Omaha, or any other company.

#1. Standard Plan G

This plan includes all basic benefits provided by Original Medicare. It covers skilled nursing coinsurance, the Part A deductible, foreign travel emergency care, and Part B excess charges.

Additionally, Plan G with BCBS of Illinois offers a routine hearing exam, a unique benefit not commonly included by other companies.

Next, I’m going to discuss a couple of other Plan Gs besides the standard Plan G, and it can get a little confusing.

But I will try to make it as simple as possible so you can see just what each plan is and how different it is from the standard Plan G or the standard Plan G of other carriers.

#2. Plan G Secure

The medical benefits of Plan G Secure are exactly the same as those of the standard Plan G.

The main difference is that Plan G Secure has lower monthly premiums because applicants must pass health questions to enroll.

Let’s break it down. Your standard Plan G (the first one we talked about) has all the standard benefits that every company has. They’re the same, with the added feature of the routine hearing exam.

When we look at Plan G Secure, the benefits are the same as those of standard Plan G..

The difference is that if you can answer these specific health questions on Plan G Secure, you’ll actually receive a slightly lower premium. When I say slightly, I’ve seen it in the range of $10 to $20 less per month if you can pass these health questions.

If you cannot pass these health questions, then you would just default to the standard Plan G.

Let’s move on to the third Plan G option – Plan G Plus.

#3. Plan G Plus

With Plan G Plus, all of the benefits of Plan G that we talked about in the beginning are the same. The Plus plan will add the SilverSneakers fitness program, dental benefits, and vision benefits. 

Remember: All the medical benefits remain the same – this is simply an addition. Think of the “Plus” plan as an upgrade, including extra features like SilverSneakers, dental, and vision coverage.

#4. Plan G Plus Secure

The Plan G Plus Secure plan basically combines the first three that we’ve discussed.

It includes all of your standard benefits, plus the SilverSneakers fitness program, dental, vision, and the lower monthly premium because it is the Secure plan (if you can pass and qualify on those health questions, which can vary).

Note: You’ll need to chat with an agent to see if you qualify for the Secure plan. They’ll take a look at your situation, go over the Secure health questions relevant to you, and let you know if you’re eligible.

If you’re unsure or need help, our team at Policy Guide is here to walk you through the process.

Let’s move on to Plan N.

BCBS of Illinois: Plan N Options

When we look at Plan N, it’s basically the same as Plan G regarding the Blue Cross perks. The benefits, though, are a bit different, since Plan G and Plan N benefits are always going to differ no matter which company you go with.

So starting at #1, let’s talk about the basic Plan N and what it covers.

#1. Basic Plan N

Plan N is a very good plan, and it’s good for those who really want to drive that monthly premium down and don’t mind sharing in the copays for office visits, urgent care, or the emergency room.

One thing that sets Plan N apart is the copays. With Plan N, you’ll have a $20 copay for office visits and a $50 copay for urgent care or emergency room visits.

On the other hand, with Plan G, there are no copays, regardless of which plan you choose. After your Medicare Part B deductible is met, Plan G will pay 100%.

The trade-off is that Plan G usually has slightly higher premiums, and Plan N has lower ones. That’s because with Plan N, you take on a bit more financial responsibility by paying those copays, so they lower your premium in return.

Looking at what’s included, Plan N still covers skilled nursing coinsurance, the Part A deductible, foreign travel emergency care, and routine hearing exams.

Note: Plan N does not cover Part B excess charges.

Part B excess charges mean your doctor can charge up to 15% over what Original Medicare charges. With Plan N, you do not have protection from that.

Excess charges are pretty uncommon and don’t usually happen. Still, it is notable that the Plan N premium is a little less because Part B excess charges are not covered.

#2. Plan N Secure

With Plan N Secure, we still have those basic benefits.

The same copays still apply for skilled nursing and the Part A deductible. We’ve also got coverage for foreign travel and routine hearing exams. Just like basic Plan N, Plan N Secure offers all the same benefits.

The main difference is that Plan N Secure has a lower monthly premium because the applicant must pass the health questions to enroll (just like Plan G Secure).

Next up is Plan N Plus, which works like Plan G Plus.

#3. Plan N Plus

Plan N Plus covers all the same features. This time, it will add the SilverSneakers fitness program, vision benefits, and dental (just like Plan G Plus).

#4. Plan N Plus Secure

Last but not least, the fourth Plan N option is going to be the Plan N Plus Secure.

We have the “Plus” benefits, including dental and vision benefits and SilverSneakers. Then, we have the “Secure” aspect of those health questions.

• Pro Tip:

  When you’re looking at BCBS of Illinois Medicare Supplement plans, the word “Secure” means slightly lower premiums and more health questions asked to qualify.

  The word “Plus” indicates added features to the standard Plan G or Plan N benefits.

BCBS of Illinois: Plan G Costs

Next up, let’s talk about how much these plans cost.

I broke down the four Plan Gs and the four Plan Ns, and I will show you how much each costs.

The basic standard Plan G costs $147 per month. Plan G Secure, which you can get if you qualify by answering some health questions, is a bit cheaper at $138 per month.

Then there’s Plan G Plus – the standard Plan G but with extras like dental, vision, and a gym membership, priced at $171.

Finally, Plan G Plus Secure includes the same benefits as Plan G Plus but costs $162 per month if you meet those health questions to qualify.

Note: All of these premiums are sample quotes I ran for a 65-year-old female in Lake County, Illinois. Your individual rates will vary based on your demographics and location.

Okay, let’s move on to the premiums on Plan N.

BCBS of Illinois: Plan N Costs

Starting with the standard Plan N, it’s $128 a month. Plan N Secure, which requires you to qualify with health questions, is just $113 a month – so there’s a noticeable drop in the premium.

Plan N Plus, which adds dental, vision, and gym membership, is $152. Plan N Plus Secure, which includes all the benefits of the standard Plan N plus dental, vision, gym membership, and the health question qualification, is $137.

You’ll notice that the Secure option for Plan N drives the rates even lower than it does for Plan G. This is because Plan N includes shared copays and Part B excess charges that Plan G doesn’t have.

I’ve talked about the standard benefits of Plan G and N, and I’ve gone over the typical premiums for both. Now, let’s dive into a unique feature that only Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois offers – something no other company is doing.

BCBS of Illinois: Premium Discounts

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois offers three different premium discount options, and I’ll walk you through each one to see if you qualify. These discounts can help bring your costs down even further than the prices I just shared with you.

First, we’ve got a 10% household discount. If you check the details, this applies to policyholders who live with a spouse or domestic partner or have lived with up to three adults over age 60 for the past 12 months.

Another option is the Blue Discount, which gives you 7% off. This is for anyone who signs up for a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Supplement plan within a year of leaving one of their group or individual health plans.

So, what does that mean?

Let’s say you’re on a group health plan through your previous employer, or maybe you have an individual policy through healthcare.gov (aka Obamacare).

Here’s how it works: If you’re on a group plan, you turn 65, and you switch to Medicare – and you’re on a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois group or retirement plan – then move to a Blue Cross Supplement plan, you’ll get a 7% premium discount.

This is what they call “keeping you Blue.” Basically, if you move from a Blue group plan to a Blue Supplement, they’ll reward you with that 7% discount.

The same applies if you go from a Blue individual plan to a Blue Supplement. Blue Cross encourages members to stay with Blue Cross longer as they transition between different types of plans.

The third and final discount is the Blue Family Discount, which offers 12% off. It’s available to policyholders who qualify for both the spouse discount and the Blue Discount.

These offerings are incredible and totally unique to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.

We work with a lot of companies in Illinois, and none of them offer this many premium discounts – especially not the Secure discount you can get just by answering the health questions.

Plan G Price Comparisons

Let’s quickly compare Blue Cross Blue Shield to a few other providers I pulled sample rates for in Illinois.

Let’s start with this Blue Cross of Illinois Plan G price comparison. I did a detailed analysis, comparing Blue Cross with Ace, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Aetna.

Here’s what I found:

• Ace is $129 per month, 12% cheaper than Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Cigna is $137 per month, 7% cheaper
• United Healthcare is $140, about 5% lower
• Blue Cross of Illinois (standard Plan G) is $147
• Aetna is $167 per month, which is actually 12% higher

Let me just stop and make a point here. The $147 premium with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois that I’m talking about here is the standard Plan G (no Secure option and no household discounts).

Note: These are just raw standard rates before any discounts apply. You can see that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois is coming in slightly higher on the standard rates, but we have yet to apply a premium discount.

• Need More Info?

  If you want to know more about whether you qualify for these discounts, call us, and we can ask you a series of questions to determine where your premium may actually fall.

Plan N Price Comparisons

Alright, let’s jump into Plan N now. Here’s a price comparison for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Plan N.

We’ve got Cigna at $91, which is 29% lower than Blue Cross. Ace is $93, 27% lower. United Healthcare is $97, 24% lower. Aetna is $113, 12% less.

Then, there’s our original standard Plan N premium with Blue Cross at $128 monthly.

Remember that this doesn’t include household discounts or the Secure rating.

BCBS of Illinois: Benefit Comparison

That wraps up the premium analysis between Blue Cross of Illinois and the other four providers. Now, let me quickly share some extra perks those other four providers offer compared to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medigap plans.

Here’s a slide I put together that sums it all up:

The first option is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. They offer premium discounts, dental, vision, hearing coverage, and extra prescription drug plans. They also have discounted plans, and their standard Plan G rate is $147. What’s unique about them is that they’re the only ones offering those discounted plans through their Secure plan qualification and health question process.

Next up is Ace. They also have a premium discount of about 7%, but that’s just their standard rate. They don’t provide dental, vision, or hearing coverage, no prescription drug plans, and no discounted plans. Their Plan G costs $129 per month.

Cigna offers premium discounts and the option to add dental, vision, and hearing coverage for an extra cost. Some states also have drug plans available. That said, they don’t offer discounted plans like Blue Cross. Their standard Plan G rate is $137.

United Healthcare also provides premium discounts, but you’ll need an AARP membership (about $20 annually) to qualify. They offer additional dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and some states provide drug plans. However, no discounted plans are available. Their Plan G comes in at $140 per month.

Finally, Aetna offers premium discounts and offers dental, vision, and hearing coverage. Some states also offer drug plans. Like the others, there are no discounted plans here, and their Plan G rate is $167.

Company Comparison Overview

I know that’s a lot to take in, but here’s the deal with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois: their unique plan options with health questions really stand out. Not everyone will qualify, but if you do, it means a lower premium.

On top of that, if you qualify for the household premium discounts, your premium could drop even more. Another great feature is that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois offers up to three different prescription drug plans. Since enrolling in a Medicare Supplement plan means you’ll need a separate Part D prescription plan, having both with the same company is super convenient.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois focuses heavily on serving Illinois residents and offers plenty of perks and benefits thanks to its long history in this space.

Now, Ace is a newer player. They do have low premiums, but they don’t offer much else, and they’ve only been on the market for three to five years, so they’re still fairly new.

The other companies I mentioned – Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare – are also solid options with long track records. They don’t always offer as many extras, and with some of them, you might need to get your Medicare Supplement and Part D plan from different companies. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s definitely nice to keep everything under one roof when you can.

My Final Thoughts

My final thought is that if you’re looking at a Medicare Supplement plan, I commend you.

All Medicare Supplement plans with all companies are far superior to a Medicare Advantage plan.

With any Medicare Supplement, you’re in complete control of your healthcare. You have no referrals, prior authorizations, or network disputes, and your plan benefits do not change every year like those of Medicare Advantage.

It really comes down to your personal situation. When you work with us or one of my agents, we’ll do some fact-finding to figure out what works best for you. We’ll start by getting to know you – your name, age, gender, whether you’re new to Medicare, your budget, and what kind of plan you’re interested in.

Then, we’ll look at all the companies out there to find the one that offers the lowest premium and includes the perks that matter most to you.

Some people go for Ace because it’s the cheapest option, and they’re not interested in extra perks or benefits. Others prefer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois because they trust the brand. Maybe they’ve had it before through an employer or an individual plan, and like the extra benefits it offers.

No option is perfect for everyone. Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of how Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois compares to other big brands in the state.

If you have questions, feel free to give us a call – we would be happy to help in any way.  Thanks!

FAQs

• What makes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Supplement plans unique?

  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois offers multiple Plan G and Plan N options, including “Secure” versions with lower premiums (if you qualify via health questions) and “Plus” plans that add dental, vision, and SilverSneakers benefits. This level of customization is rare among Medigap providers

• What are the differences between Plan G and Plan N with BCBS of Illinois?

  Plan G offers full coverage of Part B excess charges and has no copays, while Plan N comes with copays for doctor and ER visits and doesn’t cover Part B excess charges. However, Plan N typically has lower monthly premiums, making it ideal for those who want to minimize upfront costs

• Why is a Plan G better than an Advantage plan?

  While Medicare Advantage plans may offer lower premiums and extras like dental or vision, they come with copays, network restrictions, and often complex approval processes for care. Plan G covers nearly all out-of-pocket costs after the small annual Part B deductible, allowing you to see any doctor or specialist nationwide who accepts Medicare, no networks, referrals, or prior authorizations required.

• How much do BCBS of Illinois Plan G and Plan N cost?

  Here are some sample rates for a 65-year-old woman in Lake County, IL:

  Plan G: $147–$162/month

  Plan N: $128–$137/month

  Secure versions offer lower rates if you qualify through health underwriting, while Plus versions cost a bit more but come with added perks like dental, vision, and fitness benefits.

• How does BCBS of Illinois compare to other Medicare Supplement providers?

  While Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois tends to have slightly higher base premiums than companies like Cigna or ACE, it offers unique benefits (Secure discounts, bundled drug plans, and added perks). Competitors may be cheaper but often lack value-added services.

• Can I get a Medigap plan at any time?

  You can apply for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan at any time, but your guaranteed rights to buy one without medical underwriting are limited to specific enrollment periods. The best time to enroll is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which is a six-month window that starts the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Medicare Part B. During this time, insurance companies must accept you regardless of health conditions and can’t charge more due to past or current health issues.