Land of Lincoln Health Insurance Review & Complaints: Health Insurance (2023)

In the changing landscape of the healthcare market, Land of Lincoln Health has stepped forward as a co-op insurer in a state dominated by national competitor Blue Cross. This Illinois non-profit is member owned and operated, differentiating it from most other insurers in Illinois.

Land of Lincoln Health Insurance Summary

Land of Lincoln Mutual Health Insurance Company was formed in response to the 2010 Affordable Care Act. The company received a federal loan of $160 million in 2012, allowing them to open their doors as Illinois’ first co-op health insurance company. In April of 2013, the company earned its mutual insurance company license, the first new mutual insurance company in the state in 25 years.

Land of Lincoln sells a variety of health care plans with the goal of providing the most features and benefits for the premium cost. The company partners with a number of different healthcare providers to create preferred partner network plans, including Adventist Health, Centegra, Chicago Health System, and Swedish Covenant Hospital. They also have a variety of PPO plans and cover both individuals and small businesses.

The company has struggled to meet its anticipated goals for writing new policies since beginning enrollment, in part due to the difficulty of competing with insurance giant Blue Cross.

Insurance Products

Traditional Plans

Land of Lincoln has three traditional PPO plans that allow access to their entire network of contracted providers. The plans include one HSA-eligible option with a higher deductible, and two lower deductible plans, available at varying levels.

• Freedom PPO, which shares some features with Preferred Partner plans and is available in bronze, silver, and gold levels.
• Preferred HSA-Compatible PPO, which offers the most access to providers while eligible for an HSA. This plan carries a higher deductible than the other PPO plans, and comes in bronze, silver and gold levels.
• CO-Options Land of Lincoln Elite, which is the most similar to the traditional PPO plans of most insurance companies and has a low deductible. It is available in silver and gold levels.

Preferred Partner Plans

Land of Lincoln’s Preferred Partner plans provide access to a specific network of providers at a higher coverage level than out-of-network providers. There are eight different healthcare provider networks available each with different levels of coverage and a range of deductibles and premiums.

• Adventist Land of Lincoln Plan (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum)
• Centegra Land of Lincoln Plan (Silver, Gold, and Platinum)
• Chicago Health System Land of Lincoln Plan (Silver and Gold)
• LLH Family Health Network Plan (Silver)
• Presence Health Land of Lincoln Plan (Silver, Gold, and Platinum)
• Swedish Covenant Land of Lincoln Plan (Silver, Gold, and Platinum)
• Land of Lincoln Champion Plan (Gold and Platinum)
• Illinois Health Partners Land of Lincoln Plan (Silver, Gold, and Platinum)

Small Business Group Plans

Land of Lincoln offers small business health plans as well, and all of the same PPO and Preferred Partner plans can be purchased for a small group business plan. Additionally, the company offers a fourth traditional PPO plan that is only available for small businesses.

The SBAC HSA-Compatible Broad PPO Plan was created with the assistance of the Small Business Advocacy Council and is designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses. This plan is HSA eligible and allows access to the company’s largest network.

Land of Lincoln Health Insurance Rates

Land of Lincoln has a range of premiums based on the type of plan, how many people are covered, deductible, and coverage level. According to the premiums shown on healthcare.gov, Land of Lincoln plans for a single person aged 35 ranges from and estimated $182 per month up to $335 per month.

These premiums are on the higher end for the Illinois healthcare market, and the company has indicated that they choose to offer plans with more coverage and lower deductibles at slightly higher rates rather than focus on low premiums and cutting coverage.

Crain’s Chicago Business did a price comparison that showed that Land of Lincoln’s average rates are consistently higher than those of Blue Cross. These average premium comparisons do not take into account deductibles or co-insurance costs, which can impact the overall cost of a health insurance plan.

Claims

Most claims are submitted directly by the provider on your behalf, although you will be asked to pay any co-pays or co-insurance up front. Remaining costs are billed to the insured after the insurance company has reviewed the claim and paid out the correct benefits.

In some cases, an insured may need to pay out-of-pocket costs up front and submit a claim for reimbursement. Land of Lincoln offers online processing of these claims, as well as a downloadable form, which can be mailed in to the company. All of the contact information for claims processing is available on the company’s website.

Consumer Research and Complaints

Land of Lincoln is BBB accredited and carries a B rating. The BBB has records of 6 complaints against the company, all of which were resolved in the past 12 months. This is not surprising considering the company has only been writing policies since 2013.

Since Land of Lincoln is a startup an new to the insurance market, time is needed for a more clear picture of any customer service or product issues to emerge.

Financial Strength

Rating Company	Grade	Financial Outlook
AM Best	N/A	N/A
Fitch	N/A	N/A
S&P	N/A	N/A

Bottom Line

Land of Lincoln is a very young company operating in a very new healthcare market. They offer an alternative to a large, traditional insurance company, and may be attractive to those who like the idea of a member-owned co-op insurance company. Because Land of Lincoln is a startup, the company is not backed by the same level of financial security as a large insurer like Blue Cross, and at this point their stability is difficult to gauge. Customers can expect to pay higher monthly premiums, but may find the lower deductibles to make up the difference.