Health insurance for law firms in Illinois
A law firm in Illinois is usually shopping for two things at once: the owner’s own policy, which pays full price above $62,600 of income this year, and some way to help staff whose median pay in Illinois runs from $58,070 for legal secretaries to $157,320 for associate attorneys. These are the Illinois numbers for both.
Your own premium in Illinois
Illinois runs its own marketplace, Get Covered Illinois, so county prices come from the state rather than the federal data this site is built on. The average benchmark Silver plan for a 40-year-old in Illinois costs $646 a month in 2026, and above $62,600 of income for one person, or $128,600 for a family of four, there is no subsidy to bring it down. Insurers have filed an average 14.0% increase for 2027, before regulators sign off.
What you pay as the owner is deductible on Form 7206.
What your staff earn in Illinois, and what an ICHRA has to cover
| Role | Illinois median pay | Most they can be asked to pay, self-only |
|---|---|---|
| Paralegals (BLS: paralegals and legal assistants) | $62,290 | $517/mo |
| Legal secretaries (BLS: legal secretaries and administrative assistants) | $58,070 | $482/mo |
| Associate attorneys (BLS: lawyers) | $157,320 | $1,306/mo |
BLS May 2024 medians for employees in Illinois; 9.96% of pay is the 2026 affordability line.
- Paralegals, $62,290 a year. They can be asked to pay at most $517 a month for self-only coverage; whatever the lowest-cost Silver in their area costs above $517 is what an ICHRA has to fill.
- Legal secretaries, $58,070 a year. They can be asked to pay at most $482 a month for self-only coverage; whatever the lowest-cost Silver in their area costs above $482 is what an ICHRA has to fill.
- Associate attorneys, $157,320 a year. They can be asked to pay at most $1,306 a month for self-only coverage; whatever the lowest-cost Silver in their area costs above $1,306 is what an ICHRA has to fill.
What a QSEHRA covers in Illinois
The 2026 ceiling is $6,450 a year self-only, or $537.50 a month — 83% of Illinois’s $646 benchmark for a 40-year-old. The $13,100 family ceiling, about $1,092 a month, goes further only where family premiums are lower than average.
Who a law firm can and cannot cover
Partners with a K-1 and contract attorneys on a 1099 cannot be on the firm’s QSEHRA or ICHRA; only W-2 associates and staff can. The full rules for law firms cover partners, 2% shareholders and contractors in detail.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024; KFF, Marketplace Average Benchmark Premiums, 2026; IRS Publication 15-B (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits; HealthCare.gov, CHOICE Arrangements (formerly individual coverage HRAs).
Questions owners ask
How much does health insurance cost the owner of a law firm in Illinois?
About $646 a month for a 40-year-old on the average benchmark Silver in Illinois in 2026, with no subsidy above $62,600 of income for one person or $128,600 for a family of four.
Can a law firm in Illinois reimburse staff for individual health insurance?
Yes, through a QSEHRA (up to $6,450 self-only in 2026) or an ICHRA with no cap; the employer sets the amount by class of employee, and it has to clear the 2026 affordability test for each employee.