Illinois is on track to have slightly fewer people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act marketplace this year following the expiration of enhanced tax subsidies that were at the center of last year’s federal government shutdown.

The 4% decrease in enrollment is, so far, less severe than what many experts and advocates had anticipated, especially since enrollees in Illinois were expected to see an average increase of 78% in their monthly premiums. Anywhere from 2 to 4 million people across the country were expected to become uninsured if the tax credits weren’t extended.

As of Jan. 4, Get Covered Illinois, the state-run marketplace, reported 445,335 Illinois residents had signed up for an Obamacare health insurance plan. People had to enroll in a plan by Dec. 31 so coverage could start by the first of the year, but enrollment is open through Jan. 15.

In 2025, a record 465,985 people across the state enrolled in the ACA, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Get Covered Illinois did not provide further comment on enrollment figures.

Kathy Waligora, deputy director of external affairs at the Chicago-based EverThrive Illinois, which advocates for health care reform, said she was encouraged that the enrollment decline was minimal and that so many people actively chose a plan for this year.

While almost half of those enrolled by Jan. 4 were automatically re-enrolled in a plan, another 38% renewed by actively making a plan selection, according to Get Covered Illinois. About 13% of enrollees are new to the marketplace.

“Illinois has done a great job in sort of deploying navigators and marketing and all of these different resources to reach folks across Illinois and the data shows that was effective,” Waligora said.

Waligora said she worries about the people who were automatically enrolled in their plan, saying it’s unclear if individuals will be prepared to pay the likely higher monthly premiums.

Waligora said more data — such as how many individuals will get financial assistance for this year and what that looks like by region — is needed to assess the full impact of the expiration of the tax credits. She remained hopeful that there could still be a chance for the subsidies to be reinstated and extended for the coming years.

“I think that this should have been done in June, not September, not October, certainly not January,” Waligora said. “But it is good to see progress on this issue, and I sincerely hope that the Senate will take it up.”

This week, Republican lawmakers broke away from their leadership in the House and passed legislation to extend the subsidies, but the Senate isn’t required to take up the bill and has been working on an alternative plan, the Associated Press reported. Some Republicans have argued that Congress should consider a plan that would lower insurance costs for more Americans, not just those who use the marketplace.

Waligora is a leader in the Protect Our Care Illinois Coalition, which has been among the advocates pushing for the extension of the tax credits so plans could remain affordable. Many advocates worried people could become uninsured if they couldn’t afford the ACA plans.

In Illinois, about 85% of enrollees benefited from the subsidies, according to an analysis from KFF, a San Francisco-based health policy organization.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who earlier this week visited the Cook County Health Bronzeville Health Center to talk about the tax credits, said any decline is concerning and cast blame on Republicans. Krishnamoorthi is a Democrat.

“Their failure has driven up costs and forced families across Illinois to reconsider or lose coverage,” he said Friday in a statement.

The enhanced tax credits date back to the COVID-19 pandemic when they were used to make the ACA plans more affordable by offering deeper levels of financial assistance and offering reduced benefits to middle-class enrollees that phase out as a person’s income rises.

Those subsidies had continued until they expired at the end of last year. Democrats wanted them extended but Congress was unable to come up with a resolution.

Last year, there was a 17% increase in enrollment in Illinois compared to 2024, mirroring a national trend of more people turning to the ACA for health insurance.

Across the country, there were 24.3 million people getting health insurance through the ACA, an increase from the 11.4 million people who were enrolled in 2020, according to federal data.

This year was the first time Illinois residents enrolled in Obamacare through a state-run marketplace.

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (6-10, 1-4 OVC) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (4-12, 0-5 OVC)

Macomb, Illinois; Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Tennessee Tech faces Western Illinois in OVC action Saturday.

The Leathernecks have gone 3-4 at home. Western Illinois is 3-8 in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Golden Eagles have gone 1-4 against OVC opponents. Tennessee Tech has a 3-8 record against teams over .500.

Western Illinois is shooting 41.2% from the field this season, 2.7 percentage points lower than the 43.9% Tennessee Tech allows to opponents. Tennessee Tech has shot at a 45.6% clip from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points fewer than the 46.4% shooting opponents of Western Illinois have averaged.

The Leathernecks and Golden Eagles match up Saturday for the first time in OVC play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Lucas Lorenzen is averaging 14.9 points for the Leathernecks. Isaiah Griffin is averaging 1.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Mekhi Cameron is scoring 11.3 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the Golden Eagles. Dani Pounds is averaging 10.7 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 49.3% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Leathernecks: 3-7, averaging 67.7 points, 32.5 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 6.4 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 40.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.0 points per game.

Golden Eagles: 3-7, averaging 74.5 points, 30.5 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 7.0 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 83.4 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency disbanded less than a year into Trump’s second term and appeared to have caused more chaos than actual savings to the federal government.

But Illinois Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey says a DOGE-like system can achieve savings and efficiencies in Illinois’ budget.

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“It needs to be broken down,” Bailey told reporters at a news conference at the Statehouse Thursday in Springfield. “It needs to be audited. It needs to be opened up so that people know where the money’s coming from. I am very confident there are going to be a lot of waste discovery in that.”

Bailey also announced a plan to address cost-of-living issues and other areas that relies on DOGE-style governing to achieve results. The commission under a Bailey governorship would be led by his running mate, Aaron Del Mar.

Bailey and Del Mar did not specify any cuts they’ve already identified but stressed it would not be a tool to lay off large numbers of state employees or make cuts based on partisan politics – a difference from Trump’s and Musk’s approach.

“We’re not going in here with a chainsaw,” Del Mar said. “We’re going in here with an X-Acto knife. We are doing this as a purely public policy effort. This is not politically driven.”

Musk waived a chainsaw on stage at a conservative event last year, symbolizing his wide-ranging approach to government cuts. He later had a falling out with Trump and left government service.

Bailey and Del Mar suggested numerous state boards and commissions deserve more scrutiny, and any jobs or services that are duplicative could be consolidated.

A spokesperson for Gov. JB Pritzker said he doesn’t trust the Bailey campaign’s approach.

“He echoes Trump’s lies, copies Trump’s dangerous ideas, and wants to bring Trump’s chaos to Illinois,” Alex Gough said in an email. “Make no mistake: Bailey is running with Trump, embracing the same dysfunction and broken promises that have repeatedly failed working families.”

Bailey said he is not concerned about naming something “DOGE” after the scrutiny the program received in the Trump administration.

“People understand what it means,” Bailey said. “They’re going to have to get over the federal situation and we’re going to understand we have our own problems in Illinois. I am my own person, and I have proven that, regardless of who I like, who I support.”

Bailey received Trump’s endorsement during his unsuccessful 2022 campaign and said on Thursday he is willing to accept it again.

Bailey’s priorities

Beyond the DOGE plan, the former state legislator from Clay County is proposing a series of initiatives he hopes will address affordability.

Topping that list is utility prices, which have increased substantially throughout the state. Bailey said he would repeal the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act that many Republicans blame for rising prices and dwindling supply. He also wants to require independent audits of major utility contracts.

Bailey said he would cap annual property tax rates to not exceed a person’s mortgage rate. In response, he said the state would do more to fund education but did not elaborate on how much he would increase spending for public schools to help them rely less on property taxes.

“Classrooms should focus on education, not political agendas,” Del Mar said. “The blueprint prioritizes strong instruction in reading, writing, math, science and civics. It supports parental involvement.”

Child care spending

The Trump administration has already tried slashing some spending in Illinois. Most recently on Tuesday, the federal government cut off what Pritzker’s office estimates is $1 billion in federal aid for child care and other family assistance programs to Illinois. The Trump administration claimed without evidence that the freeze was in response to “widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars” in Illinois and four other Democrat-led states.

“I think it’s fair for any administration to demand accountability,” Bailey said when asked whether he agrees with the administration’s decision.

One of Bailey’s opponents, conservative researcher Ted Dabrowski, is also trying to score political points on the Trump administration’s claims and a fraud scandal in Minnesota’s human services programs.

Dabrowski held a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday warning massive spending on child care programs in Illinois could be a sign of fraud like Minnesota. But he acknowledged he had no evidence there had been any wrongdoing in Illinois. He suggested there should be audits to see why child care spending has grown in Illinois in recent years.

Funding child care and preschool programs throughout Illinois has been one of Pritzker’s top priorities during his second term and he has included several spending increases for the programs in recent budgets. He took office in the wake of a historic two-year budget impasse between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats in the General Assembly that was accompanied by massive spending cuts to social services.

First poll of the race

The first poll of the Republican primary for governor by Emerson College was released Thursday by WGN and showed Bailey has a strong lead in the primary.

Bailey received support from 34.4% of voters in the poll of 432 likely GOP primary voters conducted Jan. 3-5. No other candidate cracked 10%, with Dabrowski coming in second at 8.2%.

DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick was at 5.4% and businessman Rick Heidner was at 1.1%. While Bailey holds a strong lead less than a month before early voting begins on Feb. 5 for the March 17 primary, 46.4% of voters were still undecided.

The GOP field was whittled down to four candidates on Thursday after the State Board of Elections ruled Gregg Moore and Joseph Severino did not submit enough valid signatures to remain on the ballot.

The economy was the top issue in the larger poll of 1,000 likely primary voters for 40.4% of respondents followed by health care and threats to democracy, each around 12%.

Pritzker’s approval rate is 50.6%, according to the poll.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.