If you have heard that the government cancelled hundreds of thousands of Marketplace health plans, or you just got a letter or a call saying your Marketplace plan was cancelled, you probably have two questions: was it mine, and what do I do now? This guide explains what CMS actually announced, what it did and did not say, how to check your own coverage in a few minutes, and how to make sure you are covered for 2027.
What CMS announced in September 2026
On September 22, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that runs HealthCare.gov, announced a set of anti-fraud actions for the federal Marketplace. According to CMS's own fact sheet, on August 31, 2026 it cancelled approximately 315,000 enrollments covering more than 760,000 people, after confirming that those enrollments were unauthorized.
"Unauthorized" means the enrollment was made without the consumer's permission. In recent years, CMS has repeatedly warned about some agents and brokers signing people up for Marketplace plans, or switching their plans, without their knowledge in order to collect commissions. CMS says the cancellations followed a review and investigation by CMS and health insurance companies under its existing process for unauthorized enrollments.
The same announcement included actions aimed at agents and brokers rather than consumers: terminations of non-compliant agents and brokers, a temporary pause on new agent and broker registrations for the federal Marketplace, and new safeguards on applications that an agent or broker helps with.
What CMS did not say
It is worth being precise here, because a lot of coverage of this story has filled in details that CMS's fact sheet does not contain. As of this writing, CMS's published fact sheet does not:
- List the specific criteria used to pick out each cancelled enrollment, beyond the review and confirmation that they were unauthorized.
- Break the numbers down by state.
- Describe an appeal, a reinstatement process or a special enrollment period specifically for people whose enrollment was cancelled.
A cancellation is about the enrollment, not about you
If your plan was on this list, that does not mean you did anything wrong. The whole point of these cancellations is that the people listed on the enrollments often never asked for them. Many people affected by unauthorized enrollments never knew they had a Marketplace plan at all; others knew they had coverage but did not know an agent had changed it.
It is also possible to be enrolled in a plan you did want and still have questions about whether it was touched. That is why the next step matters more than the headlines: look at your own account.
How to check whether your Marketplace plan was cancelled
You can usually find out where you stand in a few minutes. Work through these in order:
- Log in to your own HealthCare.gov account directly (type the address yourself rather than clicking a link in a text or email) and look at your current enrollment, the plan name, the household members listed, and your contact information. If anything there is unfamiliar, write it down.
- Check your mail and email for notices from the Marketplace or from your insurance company about a cancellation or termination.
- Call the insurance company on the back of your ID card and ask whether your policy is active and, if not, the date it ended.
- Call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325). HealthCare.gov lists it as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except holidays. Tell them if you think you were enrolled or switched without your permission.
- If you work with an agent, ask them to walk through your application with you. A legitimate agent will be glad to show you exactly what was submitted in your name.
If your coverage was cancelled and you need care right now, or you believe the cancellation was a mistake, contact the Marketplace. CMS has not published a separate appeal or reinstatement process for these cancellations, so the Marketplace Call Center is the place to start, and we would not want you to rely on a remedy that has not been announced. If you received tax forms for coverage you did not sign up for, a tax professional can tell you how that affects your return.
Getting covered for 2027 at Open Enrollment
Whatever happened with your 2026 plan, Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage is your clean start. HealthCare.gov lists the window as November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027, with December 15 as the last day to pick a plan that starts January 1. Those dates are tied to a court ruling that the federal government has appealed, with oral argument scheduled for October 30, 2026, so check our Open Enrollment 2027 guide for the latest before you rely on them.
Two things will make your 2027 application smoother. First, make sure your income estimate is current; our guide to updating your income on HealthCare.gov explains why that directly affects your premium tax credit. Second, if your plan was cancelled, do not assume you will be automatically renewed into anything for 2027. Our explainer on whether Marketplace insurance automatically renews covers how renewal normally works and when you need to act yourself.
If you would rather have a licensed agent walk through your options with you and show you every step of your application before anything is submitted, you can request a quote. It costs nothing to ask.
What changes when you use an agent this year
CMS's announcement also changes how agent-assisted applications work going forward, and you will notice it:
- Every application that involves an agent or broker must include a Social Security number or immigration document number that CMS can verify for each applicant other than newborns. Have those ready for everyone in your household.
- CMS says it will require your electronic authorization before an agent or broker can take any action on your application or enrollment. CMS has not published the exact start date, so expect your agent to ask you to approve the application yourself.
Both steps exist to protect you. An extra approval step is a sign the system is working, not a reason for suspicion. What should raise a flag is the opposite: anyone who offers cash or gifts to sign you up, contacts you out of nowhere asking for your personal information, or wants to enroll you without showing you the plan and the application first.
The bottom line
CMS cancelled about 315,000 Marketplace enrollments covering more than 760,000 people, effective August 31, 2026, after confirming they were unauthorized. If you are worried yours was one of them, check your HealthCare.gov account, call your insurer, and call the Marketplace if anything looks wrong. Then use Open Enrollment to choose a 2027 plan that you picked and you understand. Exact rules and timelines can change, so confirm your situation with the Marketplace or a licensed agent.