The Trump administration says it has identified roughly $10 billion in improper payments made through the Affordable Care Act between 2021 and 2024, citing weakened enrollment safeguards under the previous administration.
According to a Department of Health and Human Services report, federal officials have already removed nearly 3 million fraudulent or improper enrollments from the exchanges. The administration estimates an additional 2.6 million questionable enrollments remain under review as part of a broader effort to eliminate fraud and waste across federal programs.
EXCLUSIVE: Some Americans were allegedly enrolled in Obamacare without ever knowing it.
The Trump administration says insurance brokers created "phantom enrollments" by signing people up without their knowledge, while others allegedly misstated their incomes or received… pic.twitter.com/FfhNhQ6vjl
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 26, 2026
What the Report Found
The HHS report attributes the alleged problems to policy changes made during the Biden administration that expanded enrollment opportunities while relaxing income verification and eligibility checks. ACA exchange enrollment grew from approximately 10 million people at the start of Biden’s presidency to roughly 22 million by 2024.
Federal investigators determined that improper, phantom and fraudulent enrollments peaked at an estimated 5.6 million people in 2025, according to the report. The investigation identified several forms of abuse, including applicants intentionally understating income to qualify for larger subsidies and individuals receiving premium assistance despite failing to meet eligibility requirements.
Officials also identified what they describe as
