The sticker shock could be very real for people when open enrollment begins this year.

Sen. Dick Durbin sounded the alarm Friday, saying "health insurance premiums are going to nearly double in northern Illinois and triple in downstate Illinois," particularly for plans under the Affordable Care Act.

When government tax credits and subsidies expanded under the Biden administration during the COVID crisis expire Saturday, more than half a million people in Illinois could see their health care premiums skyrocket from an average of $260 a month to a projected $464 dollars a month, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. Some of the biggest increases will be seen in Cook, DuPage and Will Counties.

That could leave some of Illinois’ most vulnerable, including people with disabiliti

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