Administration Removes Nearly 3 Million from ACA Rolls in Fraud Review

Federal health officials removed nearly 3 million people from Affordable Care Act rolls after finding improper, phantom, and fraudulent enrollments. Another 2.6 million removals are planned. The review began after enrollment rose from 10 million at the start of the prior administration to 22 million at its 2024 peak.

Officials said the increase prompted checks on income verification and eligibility.

The administration restored income verification, ended some special enrollment periods, and checked for duplicate Medicaid coverage. It also investigated cases where brokers signed people up without their knowledge. Current enrollment stands at 19.2 million.

Officials estimate that improper and phantom enrollments peaked at 5.6 million in 2025 and that more than 1 million remaining cases lack a Social Security number. "Preserving the fiscal and programmatic integrity of the ACA Exchanges is key to safeguarding taxpayer-funded resources for those that truly need them," the report says.

The same report states that the federal government paying brokers to enroll individuals without their knowledge is not acceptable. Officials said the effort is part of a broader anti-fraud initiative across federal programs.