ACA Enrollment Drops as Enhanced Subsidies Expire and Trump Administration Cites Fraud Crackdown
Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment has fallen by roughly 3 million people in 2026, marking the first significant decline in years. While the Trump administration says stronger anti-fraud enforcement is responsible for much of the decrease, many health policy experts argue the expiration of enhanced federal premium subsidies is the primary reason millions of Americans have left the ACA marketplace.
According to a report by CNBC, ACA marketplace enrollment declined from 22.1 million people at the end of 2025 to approximately 19.2 million in February 2026, a drop of about 13%.
What Happened
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new enrollment data showing the largest reduction in ACA marketplace participation since the exchanges were established in 2014.
The...







