CHICAGO � Illinois� health insurance marketplace is now allowing gay and lesbian couples to enroll for private coverage.

Now that same-sex marriage is legal in the state, Get Covered Illinois announced it will open up special enrollment periods for gay couples.

Married same-sex couples and their children can enroll as a family and may qualify for financial help.

Illinois� gay marriage law took effect Sunday, though some cities have already allowed same-sex marriage ceremonies.

The Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to offer the same coverage to people in same-sex marriages as they do to opposite-sex spouses.

Under the law, marriage is a qualifying life event that makes people eligible for a special enrollment period. The period lasts two months in the state�s marketplace and one month under an employer�s marketplace plan.