Blessing Health clinics and doctors are in network with the following Medicare plans.
- Traditional Medicare
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Advantage
- Molina Medicare Advantage
- Total Retiree Advantage Illinois (trail)
- United HealthCare Medicare Advantage
- Humana - Employer PPO plan
The Illinois Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI) program will end December 31, 2025. Beginning January 1, 2026, MMAI will be replaced with Medicare Advantage dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs).
Blessing Health Clinics and doctors are in network with the following D-SNP plans.
- Aetna
- Molina
- Meridian
- Humana
Who Do I Call if I have Questions?
- Speak with a certified counselor by calling the Blessing Resource Center at 217-277-5000.
- Attend a free educational Medicare 101 session on October 21, 2025. Click here for full details.
What are Medicare Advantage plans?
Medicare Advantage Plans are offered by private companies that contract with Medicare to provide all of your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. Alongside Medicare Advantage, you may hear these plans referred to as “Part C” plans. In many cases, these plans will also offer prescription (or “Part D”) plans as well. Note that Medicare Advantage plans are administered by insurance companies and have different kinds of benefit designs. Medicare Advantage plans can be purchased either on an individual basis or through your employer.
For State of Illinois retirees within our service area, Medicare Advantage plans are offered on a group basis through the Total Retiree Advantage Illinois (“trail”) program. We encourage you review the State of Illinois website for more information on benefit plans offered. Blessing Health cannot answer any specific benefit questions and we encourage you to review the state’s website for additional plan details. Finally, we encourage you to review our Insurance page for information on plans accepted through the TRAIL program.
When can I enroll for Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans?
Enrollment timelines for those wishing to choose a traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan are set by CMS. Information on switching plans and enrollment periods is included below from Medicare.gov:
- To switch to a new Medicare Advantage plan: Simply sign up with the plan you choose during one of the enrollment periods. Doing so will disenroll you from your current plan when the new plan coverage begins.
- To switch to traditional Medicare: Contact your current plan or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
There are three windows in which you can gain coverage:
- Initial Enrollment Period: When you first become eligible for Medicare, you can join a plan.
- Open Enrollment Period: From Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year, you can join, switch or drop a plan. Coverage selected will begin on Jan. 1.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: From Jan. 1 to March 31 each year, individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan OR switch to traditional Medicare once during this time.
People with additional Medicare questions should call the Blessing Resource Center at 217-277-5000, Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, to speak with a certified counselor.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: October 15 until December 7 of each year.
A: You can review current Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Drug coverages, switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage or vice versa, switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or switch from one Medicare Part D plan to another.
A: Your new plan coverage will start on January 1 of the following the Open Enrollment Period.
A: AEP is open to all Medicare beneficiaries, including those on Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage and allows them to make changes, while OEP is a time for those currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan to make changes.
• AEP is October 15 - Dec 7 each year
• OEP is January 1 – March 31 each year
A: Blessing will continue to be in network with all Medicare Supplement plans and the following Medicare Advantage plans: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Molina, United Healthcare, and Total Retiree Advantage Illinois (trail), Humana Employer Choice PPO and Traditional Medicare.
A: If you want to leave Medicare Advantage and move to original Medicare, you have specific times you can do that:
• You can disenroll from Medicare Advantage plans during the Medicare annual enrollment period (AEP) October 15 – December 7 each year. Changes made during AEP will be effective January 1 of the following year.
• You can also disenroll from Medicare Advantage and switch back to Original Medicare during the Open Enrollment period (OEP) January 1 – March 31 each year.
• If you disenroll from a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan (MAPD) Plan, you will need to enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for your Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.
A: It will end December 31, 2025
A: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is requiring states with a MMAI program to convert to the D-SNP model. Beginning January 1, 2026, Illinois will begin to offer Medicare Advantage dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs), similar to all other States.
A: A member must be:
• Receiving full Illinois Medicaid benefits and enrolled in either the Medicaid Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) or the FamilyCare category of assistance;
• Age 21 and older at the time of enrollment;
• Have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance);
• Live in the service area; and
• A United States Citizens or lawfully present in the United States
A: Blessing will be in network with all four D-SNP managed care plans, Aetna, Humana, Molina and Meridian/Wellcare