Over 2,300 Michigan ACA enrollees caught up in federal fraud sweep

An exam room at Vivent Health in Highland Park is seen on Oct. 2, 2026. Photo credit: Eli Newman/Bridge Michigan.

by Eli Newman, Bridge Michigan

Nearly 1,000 enrollees in Michigan’s Affordable Care Act plans had their policies canceled as a result of a federal crackdown on alleged fraud, according to state insurance officials, while at least another 1,372 remain under review.

The purge, announced last month by Vice President JD Vance and other Trump administration officials, was said to impact 760,000 enrollees in the federal marketplace nationwide, while another 419,000 were set for review. Vance called it a “common sense” measure resulting in $2.2 billion in taxpayer savings.

Of the national total, 955 enrollees in Michigan were cancelled Aug. 31, according to the state Department of Financial Services, covering 706 policies. Another 1,065 policies for 1,372 enrollees were said to be under review as of Sept. 23.

Michigan has 394,649 enrollees in the individual market, according to recent state health insurance rate request filings.

The state agency “experienced an increase in consumer complaints involving unauthorized enrollments and plan switching beginning in 2025,” according to Chelsea Lewis, DIFS director of communications. The department’s complaints are confidential under state law, she said, and no further data about the number of complaints was available.

Insurers, meanwhile, are asking for another round of double-digit rate hikes ahead of November’s open enrollment, following last year’s increase.

The state has seen declining participation in the federal healthcare marketplace amid rising costs and changes in subsidies —  enrollment dropped nearly 27% between 2025 and 2026.

Some people have been added back to their healthcare plans following the fraud sweep, according to KFF Health News.

Lewis directed enrollees who believe their coverage was canceled in error to contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1‑800‑318‑2596 to request reinstatement. She said the state agency can also assist those impacted at 877-999-6442 or online.

This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.