Rep.Raja Krishnamoorthi To Dr. Oz: Obamacare Is Essential

India-West Staff Reporter

SCHAUMBURG, IL –Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ranking Member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, has urged Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to halt plans expanding eligibility for “catastrophic” health insurance plans and instead support extending the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits before they expire on January 1, 2026.

In a letter sent to Dr. Oz following visits to Loretto Hospital in Chicago and River Bluff Nursing Home in Rockford—two facilities already reeling from recent federal health care funding cuts—Krishnamoorthi warned that allowing the enhanced ACA tax credits to lapse could drive premiums up by an average of 75 percent nationwide and force millions of Americans off their insurance plans.

“These healthcare tax credits have allowed more Americans than ever to access affordable, quality health care,” Krishnamoorthi wrote. “Since their introduction, enrollment in the ACA marketplace has more than doubled—from 11.4 million in 2020 to 24.3 million in 2025—while roughly 22 millions of those enrollees relied on these enhanced tax credits.”

Citing data from KFF, the Urban Institute, and the Congressional Budget Office, Krishnamoorthi said that without congressional action, families, small business owners, and the self-employed will face skyrocketing costs. “A family of four earning $80,375 would see their average net premium jump from $169 to $919,” he noted, calling the potential impact “an astronomical price hike that would put coverage out of reach for far too many.”

The Illinois lawmaker also criticized CMS’s proposed expansion of “catastrophic” plans, which offer low monthly premiums but carry deductibles approaching $10,000. “Catastrophic plans are not a substitute for the comprehensive coverage that families can currently afford because of these tax credits,” Krishnamoorthi cautioned, urging CMS to focus instead on sustaining existing benefits.

During his Illinois hospital tour, Krishnamoorthi said administrators and caregivers voiced alarm about the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA programs. The Congressman warned that as many as 17 million Americans, including over 535,000 Illinois residents, could lose coverage, and at least 11 hospitals across the state risk closure.

“At Loretto Hospital, where 83 percent of patients rely on Medicaid, administrators described how reduced federal support threatens mental health, maternal care, and rehabilitation services,” Krishnamoorthi said. “At River Bluff, caregivers warned that shrinking reimbursements could force bed closures and longer wait times for families seeking elder care.”

“CMS has a responsibility to ensure American families can access quality, affordable, comprehensive health care,” Krishnamoorthi concluded. “Instead of propping up catastrophic health plans that will be catastrophic for Americans’ wallets, CMS should support extending the ACA tax-credit funding before it expires.”

Earlier this year, Krishnamoorthi introduced the Bringing Back Benefits Act, aimed at reversing federal Medicaid and SNAP cuts and safeguarding affordable coverage for working families.