Northwestern Medicine steps up support for Crystal Lake community health clinic as insurance costs soar

A Crystal Lake-based nonprofit medical clinic is seeing a surge of clients as health insurance costs skyrocket, leaving many to go without health insurance altogether.

Family Health Partnership Clinic, which does not accept insurance, operates on a sliding fee scale and will not turn anyone away due to inability to pay. The clinic, at 401 Congress Parkway, is seeing a spike in clients after health insurance premiums rose, with some McHenry County residents seeing jumps from $300 to more than $1,000 a month, leaving more people to drop coverage, according to a Northwestern Medicine news release.

The high insurance prices are partially due to the ending of COVID-19-era tax credits, which made Affordable Care Act health insurance more affordable. The U.S. Senate in mid-December rejected legislation to extend pandemic-era ACA tax credits, following the 43-day government shutdown over the issue. The subsidies were meant to make coverage more affordable to more people in income-qualifying households.

The "dramatic spikes in monthly premiums, shrinking provider networks and rising copays" have led to the clinic seeing a dramatic increase in visitors at the start this year, according to Northwestern Medicine. The hospital, whose locations include Huntley, Woodstock and McHenry, said it's stepping up its support to the clinic in the wake of this growing need.

Northwestern Medicine recently added five volunteer providers, bringing the total to seven and helping clinics get on a fast track to speciality care and financial assistance access. Financially, the hospital provided $100,000 to support staffing, supplies and the in-house pharmacy at Family Health Partnership Clinic.

"Our physicians volunteer because they believe deeply in the clinic's mission," said Dr. Irfan Hafiz, chief medical officer at Northwestern Medicine McHenry, Huntley and Woodstock hospitals. "They see firsthand how removing barriers like transportation, cost and medication access can dramatically change a patient's health trajectory. This is the kind of work that reminds us why we went into medicine."

That extra support is needed now more than ever, advocates say. Family Health Partnership Clinic Executive Director Suzanne Hoban said that in January, the clinic had to suspend taking new patients, except for the emergency room and hospital discharges, because of capacity issues.

"Keeping track of the people we have turned away, we were turning away an average of five patients each day in January," she said in an email to Shaw Local. "For the first two weeks of February, we are turning away an average of seven patients per day."

This pause on new patients is something the clinic hasn't had to resort to since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the clinic is working to add more providers, Hoban said.

"This is a systemic failure, not an individual one," Hoban said in the Northwestern Medicine release. "Losing insurance shouldn't be a source of shame. We want people to know we are here for them – before their health crisis becomes an emergency."

Hoban, who also serves as the McHenry County College board chair, was a guest of U.S. Rep. Bill Foster at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in February.

Foster, D-Naperville, said Trump and Republicans in Congress enacted what he said were "the largest cuts to health care in American history."

"In the face of these cuts, the Family Health Partnership Clinic's work is more important than ever," Foster said. "We must lift up leaders like Suzanne who ensure our communities have access to the affordable, high-quality health care they deserve when Washington falls short."

Unlike federally qualified health centers, FHPC does not receive federal funding and does not accept Medicaid or private insurance. Instead, everything is funded by community donors, charitable foundations and partners like Northwestern Medicine.

"Northwestern Medicine has been a fabulous partner and truly a gold standard in what community collaboration looks like," Hoban said. "This collaboration is built on what truly matters: ensuring that no one in our community goes without care simply because they can't afford insurance."

According to the 2025 FHPC financial report, the clinic relied on grants for 46% of its total revenue, and 19% coming from contributions. Dozens of individuals, businesses and organizations support the nonprofit.

FHPC is celebrating 30 years of service this month.

To continue bringing on additional staff to support the increase in clients, funding is "critical," Hoban said. One small way to support FHPC is by stocking its emergency food pantry, which has a wish list on Amazon. Other ways to support the clinic can be found at hpclinic.org/ways-to-help.