Medicaid plans › Illinois
Illinois Medicaid Managed-Care Plans for Providers
Enrollments are billed 50% at the start and 50% at submission; everything else 100% at the start.
Illinois Medicaid (HFS) is run by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. 2,584,970 people were enrolled in its 5 managed-care plans in 2024. To see their patients, a provider enrolls with Illinois Medicaid (HFS) through IMPACT, the Illinois Medicaid Program Advanced Cloud Technology system, then applies to each plan separately.
| Plan | Members (2024) | Share | Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian Health (including YouthCare) | 782,227 | 30.3% | Centene |
| Blue Cross Community Health Plans | 712,533 | 27.6% | Health Care Service Corporation |
| CountyCare Health Plan | 424,747 | 16.4% | In-state |
| Aetna Better Health | 362,690 | 14% | CVS Health |
| Molina Healthcare | 302,773 | 11.7% | Molina Healthcare |
How Joining Works in Illinois
First the state: Illinois Medicaid (HFS) enrollment through IMPACT, the Illinois Medicaid Program Advanced Cloud Technology system, which gives you the Medicaid ID every plan asks for. Then the plans: each takes its own participation request and credentials you from your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile. 4 parent companies run plans here, and plans owned by the same company still contract state by state.
How to Join Each Illinois Plan
Meridian Health (including YouthCare) (Centene): Centene runs this plan alongside its Ambetter and Wellcare products. Each Centene plan takes its own contract request on the plan's provider website, credentials from your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile, and will not load a provider without the state Medicaid ID.
Blue Cross Community Health Plans (Health Care Service Corporation): This is the Blue Cross plan's Medicaid line. It is contracted separately from the plan's commercial network, so a commercial Blue Cross contract does not make you a Medicaid participant.
Aetna Better Health (CVS Health): Aetna Better Health plans each have a state-specific "Join our network" request on aetnabetterhealth.com. They are separate from Aetna's commercial network, so an Aetna commercial contract does not carry over.
Molina Healthcare (Molina Healthcare): Molina credentials each state separately. The contract request goes through the state's Molina provider site and requires an active state Medicaid enrollment; credentialing uses your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile.
CountyCare Health Plan: This plan is run in-state rather than by a national carrier, so participation requests go to the plan's own provider relations or contracting team, listed on its provider website.
Also in Illinois: Medicare, Illinois Medicaid (HFS) and commercial credentialing.
Questions
Which Illinois Medicaid plan is the largest?
Meridian Health (including YouthCare), with 782,227 members in 2024, 30.3% of the 2,584,970 people enrolled in Illinois's Medicaid managed-care plans.
Do I have to join every Illinois Medicaid plan?
No. Each plan is a separate contract. Practices usually start with the two or three largest plans in their county, then add others as patients ask for them. All of them require Illinois Medicaid (HFS) enrollment first.
Membership from KFF, Medicaid MCO Enrollment by Plan and Parent Firm, 2024. Plans change when the state rebids its contracts; we confirm the current list on every file.