Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has defended halting federal subsidies for about 189,000 Affordable Care Act enrollees, saying many of them do not realise they are covered twice.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, that the enrollees either also had Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP coverage or were recorded as deceased. The agency estimates the move will prevent about £550 million ($738 million) in improper payments this year.