If your ACA Marketplace health insurance suddenly disappeared, you may be wondering what happened and whether you can get your coverage back.
On August 31, 2026, the federal government canceled approximately 315,000 Marketplace enrollments covering more than 760,000 people after determining that the enrollments were unauthorized.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the action on September 22 as part of a broader effort to stop unauthorized health insurance enrollments.
But if you signed up for coverage legitimately, you may be worried about whether your insurance could have been affected.
Here’s what happened, how to check your coverage, and what to do if you discover a problem.
What Happened to 760,000 Marketplace Enrollees?
On August 31, 2026, CMS canceled approximately 315,000 Marketplace enrollments covering more than 760,000 individuals.
According to CMS, the cancellations followed investigations conducted with health insurance companies that identified the enrollments as unauthorized.
The agency announced the action in a September 22, 2026, fact sheet.
CMS also expects the cancellations to result in approximately $2.2 billion in returned advance premium tax credit payments.
These tax credits are federal subsidies paid to insurance companies to help eligible households afford their monthly health insurance premiums.
CMS says the canceled enrollments should not have been receiving those payments because they were not properly authorized.
However, there is an important distinction.
The cancellation of an enrollment does not necessarily mean the person named on the policy knowingly committed fraud.
Unauthorized enrollments can involve agents or brokers acting without a consumer’s permission. CMS has not publicly established how many people may have wanted to keep their coverage or were affected by an error.
Why Were These Enrollments Canceled?
For several years, federal officials have investigated cases involving insurance agents and brokers who enrolled people in ACA Marketplace plans without their permission.
In some situations, a consumer may have been signed up for a plan they never requested.
In others, an agent or broker may have changed someone’s existing coverage without proper authorization.
These actions can create serious problems for consumers.
Someone might discover an unfamiliar insurance policy, receive unexpected tax documents, or learn that their health coverage has changed when they try to visit a doctor.
CMS says its latest actions are intended to stop these unauthorized enrollments and prevent improper federal subsidy payments.
The agency is also increasing oversight of agents and brokers who help consumers enroll through the federal Marketplace.
What New Protections Is CMS Putting in Place?
CMS announced several changes intended to reduce unauthorized Marketplace enrollments.
1. Restrictions on New Agents and Brokers
CMS has imposed a temporary restriction on agents and brokers registering for the 2027 Marketplace plan year if they do not already have an active Exchange Agreement for 2026.
The goal is to limit new registrations while additional safeguards are introduced.
2. Stronger Identity Verification
Existing agents and brokers must verify their identities again through Login.gov or ID.me.
CMS is also requiring applications involving agents or brokers to include verifiable Social Security numbers or immigration document numbers for all applicants other than newborns.
These requirements are intended to make it harder to submit applications using incomplete or potentially fraudulent identifying information.
3. Consumer Authorization
CMS announced that it would implement an electronic consumer authorization requirement before the upcoming Open Enrollment period.
Under this safeguard, consumers would need to authorize an agent or broker electronically before that person could take action on their Marketplace application or enrollment.
CMS also prohibits agents and brokers from being added to applications that consumers should complete themselves through HealthCare.gov.
These protections are designed to give consumers more control over who can access and change their coverage.
How Do You Know If Your Coverage Was Affected?
CMS has not published a public list of the individuals whose enrollments were canceled.
It also has not released a state-by-state breakdown that would allow consumers to determine whether they were affected based on where they live.
That means the safest approach is to check your own coverage information.
If you currently have Marketplace insurance, or believe someone may have enrolled you without permission, follow the steps below.
What to Do Right Now
Step 1: Check Your HealthCare.gov Account
Start by visiting HealthCare.gov and signing in to your Marketplace account.
Review your current coverage and application information.
Look for:
- A cancellation you did not request.
- An unfamiliar health insurance plan.
- Changes to your household, income, or contact information.
- An agent or broker you do not recognize.
- Requests for additional documents or identity verification.
If you don’t recognize something, don’t assume it’s harmless.
If your state operates its own Marketplace website, use that state’s official enrollment portal instead.
Step 2: Check Your Mail, Email, and Insurance Notices
Review any recent messages from the Marketplace or your health insurance company.
You may have received a notice about a cancellation, an application change, or information that needs to be verified.
Check your email spam folder as well.
Pay particular attention to requests for identity, income, citizenship, or immigration-status verification.
A legitimate request for additional information should not be ignored. Missing a verification deadline can create problems with eligibility or financial assistance.
However, don’t submit personal documents through an unfamiliar email link or website.
Instead, sign in through the official Marketplace website or contact the Marketplace directly to confirm what is needed.
Step 3: Contact the Marketplace If Your Coverage Was Canceled
If you selected your health insurance plan yourself and discover that it was canceled without your permission, contact the Marketplace as soon as possible.
For HealthCare.gov coverage, call:
Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center: 1-800-318-2596
TTY: 1-855-889-4325
You can also find assistance through the official HealthCare.gov contact page.
Explain that your coverage was canceled or changed without your authorization.
Ask the representative to review your enrollment history and determine whether your case qualifies for a correction, reinstatement, appeal, or another available remedy.
CMS has not announced a single special reinstatement procedure that automatically applies to everyone affected by the August 31 cancellations.
Because individual circumstances differ, the Marketplace will need to review your situation.
If you have medical appointments or prescriptions coming up, explain that you may have an urgent coverage problem.
Step 4: Ask Whether You Qualify for a Special Enrollment Period
Normally, people enroll in ACA Marketplace health insurance during the annual Open Enrollment period.
However, certain circumstances may allow someone to enroll outside that period.
This is called a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
If you lost legitimate coverage because of an unauthorized enrollment change or cancellation, ask the Marketplace whether you qualify for an SEP or another enrollment correction.
A canceled enrollment does not automatically guarantee a Special Enrollment Period.
The Marketplace must determine whether your circumstances meet the applicable requirements.
You can learn more about Special Enrollment Periods through HealthCare.gov.
Step 5: Prepare for 2027 Open Enrollment
If you need Marketplace health insurance for 2027, the next Open Enrollment period is approaching.
For HealthCare.gov, the important dates are:
- November 1, 2026: Open Enrollment begins.
- December 15, 2026: Deadline to enroll for coverage beginning January 1, 2027.
- January 15, 2027: Open Enrollment ends.
- February 1, 2027: Coverage generally begins for people who enroll between December 16 and January 15 and pay their first premium.
These dates apply to HealthCare.gov. State-run Marketplaces may have different enrollment periods and deadlines.
You can confirm the federal schedule on HealthCare.gov’s official dates and deadlines page.
If your current coverage has already ended, don’t wait until November without first asking whether you have an earlier enrollment option.
Step 6: Watch Out for Scammers Offering to Protect Your Coverage
News about canceled health insurance policies can create opportunities for scammers.
Be cautious if someone contacts you unexpectedly and claims you must pay a special fee to prevent your Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP coverage from being canceled.
There is no legitimate government fee for protecting your Marketplace application from fraud or reporting an unauthorized enrollment.
However, this is different from your regular health insurance premium.
If your plan requires a monthly premium, you may still need to pay that amount directly to your insurance company to keep your coverage active.
Never send money or personal information to someone who contacts you unexpectedly claiming they can restore your insurance.
If you’re unsure whether a payment request is legitimate, contact your insurer or the Marketplace using its official website or phone number.
Step 7: Report Suspicious Enrollment Activity
If you believe an agent or broker enrolled you without permission, changed your coverage, or misused your personal information, report the situation.
You can:
- Contact the Marketplace Call Center and explain what happened.
- Submit a fraud report to the Federal Trade Commission.
- Contact your state insurance department if the issue involves an insurance agent or broker.
- Visit IdentityTheft.gov if you believe someone stole your identity.
Before reporting, gather any information you have about the person or company involved.
That might include their name, phone number, email address, website, or copies of messages you received.
You don’t need to have every detail before asking for help.
What If You Have Medicaid or CHIP?
The August 31 cancellations involved Marketplace enrollments through the federal Marketplace and state-based Marketplaces that use the federal platform.
This action did not directly cancel Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage.
Medicaid and CHIP are separate health coverage programs, generally administered by state agencies.
However, CMS has identified suspicious enrollment patterns involving people who appeared to have both Medicaid or CHIP and Marketplace coverage.
That does not mean everyone enrolled in both programs committed fraud.
If you receive Medicaid or CHIP and discover an unfamiliar Marketplace policy in your name, contact your state Medicaid agency to verify your coverage.
You can also contact the Marketplace to report the unfamiliar enrollment.
Don’t cancel legitimate Medicaid or CHIP coverage simply because you hear about the federal Marketplace cancellations.
What If You Never Signed Up for Marketplace Insurance?
It’s possible to discover that someone submitted an application using your information even though you never requested coverage.
If you receive a Marketplace notice, insurance card, or tax document for coverage you don’t recognize, take it seriously.
Contact the Marketplace to ask whether an application or enrollment exists in your name.
If you believe someone used your identity without permission, consider reporting the situation through IdentityTheft.gov.
You should also keep copies of any unfamiliar insurance documents.
An unauthorized Marketplace enrollment may affect your tax records, particularly if advance premium tax credits were paid on your behalf.
If you receive a Form 1095-A for coverage you never authorized, ask the Marketplace how to dispute or correct the information before using it to prepare your federal tax return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did CMS Cancel 760,000 Health Insurance Policies?
Not exactly.
CMS canceled approximately 315,000 enrollments covering more than 760,000 individuals on August 31, 2026.
The distinction matters because one enrollment can cover multiple people.
Does This Mean Everyone Affected Was Committing Fraud?
No.
CMS determined that the enrollments were unauthorized, but that does not establish that every person named on a canceled policy knowingly participated in fraud.
Unauthorized enrollments may involve misconduct by agents or brokers.
Can I Get My Marketplace Coverage Back?
Possibly, depending on what happened.
If your legitimate coverage was canceled without your permission, contact the Marketplace and request a review.
A correction, reinstatement, appeal, or Special Enrollment Period may be available in some circumstances, but none should be assumed automatic.
Is Open Enrollment Already Open?
As of October 17, 2026, HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment for 2027 has not started.
It begins November 1, 2026.
If you need coverage before then, ask whether you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or another available coverage option.
Does This Affect Medicare?
No. This particular action concerns ACA Marketplace enrollments, not Medicare coverage.
Does This Mean My Medicaid Was Canceled?
No. The Marketplace cancellations did not directly terminate Medicaid or CHIP coverage.
If you have questions about your Medicaid status, contact your state Medicaid agency.
Relief Recap
On August 31, 2026, CMS canceled approximately 315,000 unauthorized Marketplace enrollments covering more than 760,000 people.
The agency announced the action on September 22 and expects approximately $2.2 billion in advance premium tax credit payments to be returned.
The cancellations are part of a broader effort to stop unauthorized enrollments and strengthen oversight of insurance agents and brokers.
But if you had legitimate Marketplace coverage, it’s important to make sure your insurance is still active and your information is correct.
Check your Marketplace account, review any notices, and contact the Marketplace promptly if you discover a cancellation or change you didn’t authorize.
If you need new coverage, remember that HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment begins November 1, 2026, although you may have other options if you qualify.
And if you’re concerned about people taking advantage of families who need assistance, visit our collection of scam prevention articles to learn about other warning signs worth watching for.
