The Trump administration announced it will remove 760,000 people from Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges, alleging that these individuals were fraudulently enrolled or do not exist. Vice President JD Vance, leading a government-wide fraud task force, said the cancellations would save $2.2 billion in subsidy payments. The announcement, made alongside CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, also includes a six-month suspension on new brokers who enroll people in coverage, as officials say brokers account for a disproportionate share of the fraud uncovered.
This action comes amid rising healthcare costs and inflation, with the administration under pressure to address affordability before the midterms. Premiums for ACA plans have surged after Republicans allowed COVID-era subsidies to expire, causing many enrollees to downgrade or exit the program. Roughly 19.2 million Americans remain actively enrolled in marketplace plans as of early 2026, according to HHS.
The White House referred questions about broader affordability plans to the vice president's team. The Wall Street Journal first reported the removal plan, and the administration has not provided further details on how the alleged fraud was identified or verified. With only this single source, no independent confirmation or contrasting perspectives are available.