SAL Shows You How · Free learning pilot
Let’s make health coverage less confusing.
Hi, I’m SAL, your AI pal. I’ll help you understand the terms, find official tools, and know what questions to ask about 2027 coverage.
Start with one short lesson. No signup, insurance card, or medical details needed.
Choose a lesson
SAL is a teacher, not an insurance adviser.
SAL is not a government agency or insurer. This is general education, not medical, legal, or insurance-plan advice. For your own coverage, verify details on official sites and speak with a qualified counselor before changing plans.
Please don’t enter Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, insurance cards, medical records, or prescription lists into SAL or a general AI chatbot.
Start here
Three lessons. Take them at your own pace.
These are written practice lessons. Video scripts are being prepared for independent review; no finished videos are represented here.
Find the right starting point
Medicare, individual Marketplace coverage, job-based coverage, and Medicaid are different paths. You don’t need to know every rule to start—just find the official program that applies to you.
I have Medicare
Use Medicare’s own comparison tool to check health and drug plan options. Medicare open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15–December 7, 2026.
I buy my own insurance in Illinois
Start with Get Covered Illinois, the state’s official Marketplace. Its open enrollment period for 2027 coverage is November 1, 2026–January 15, 2027.
My insurance comes from work
Start with your employer’s benefits or HR team. Ask for the plan summary, costs, enrollment deadline, and provider network.
I may have Medicaid or need help
Check eligibility through the appropriate state program or ask a certified enrollment assister. Medicaid is different from Medicare.
Good question to ask: “Is this an official government Marketplace or Medicare tool, and which enrollment period applies to my coverage?”
A low premium is only part of the price
A premium is the amount you pay each month. A deductible is what you may pay toward certain covered care before the plan starts sharing some costs. Copays (fixed charges) and coinsurance (percentage charges) can add more. Out-of-pocket limits have coverage rules and exclusions.
A simple way to compare
Imagine two plans. One has a lower monthly premium but higher costs when you need care. The other costs more each month but may charge less for certain visits or prescriptions. Neither is automatically better for everyone.
- Check the estimated cost for the entire year, not only the monthly premium.
- Check which doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies are in-network.
- Check services and prescription coverage, including any restrictions.
- Check deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and covered out-of-pocket limits.
Cost definitions here are general. Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, prescription drug plans, and Marketplace plans have different limits and rules.
A letter says your plan is changing. Now what?
Don't panic or cancel coverage based on a headline. Verify the notice with your insurer and the official program, then check dates and options for your situation.
Read the year and effective dates.
Find the official plan name and any stated end date. Keep your notice private.
Go to the official source.
For Medicare, use Medicare.gov. For Illinois Marketplace coverage, use Get Covered Illinois; its 2027 plan-change notice explains which plans are affected.
Write down your comparison questions.
Ask about the provider network, medications, total cost, deadlines, and when replacement coverage would begin.
Talk to a trained human before switching.
Illinois SHIP offers free, independent Medicare counseling. Get Covered Illinois offers certified Navigators and brokers for Marketplace coverage.
Questions to bring to an official comparison or counselor
You can write these down on paper. SAL doesn't ask you to enter private details.
- Your current plan notice and the year it applies to
- Which doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies participate
- Whether the plan covers the prescriptions and services you need
- The estimated total yearly costs — not just the monthly premium
- When replacement coverage would start and end
Real people can help, too.
Illinois Medicare counseling (SHIP): 1-800-252-8966. Get Covered Illinois assistance: 1-866-311-1119.
Where does AI belong?
A general-purpose AI tool can explain common words or help you draft questions using made-up examples. It can misunderstand benefits, costs, eligibility, or current rules. Use official sites for plan information and a qualified counselor for personal decisions. If an app requests health records, read its privacy policy carefully before giving permission.
Medicare's guide to AI health apps (opens a new tab)