"} 64:{"type":"p","text":"\r\n

The administration implemented stricter verification rules in May 2026, but they did not impact the 2026 open enrollment, which ended Jan. 15.

"} 65:{"type":"p","text":"\r\n

Legal Action Center, a human rights advocacy group, has opposed mandatory re-enrollment and income verification because it places an administrative burden on those dealing with substance abuse, mental health conditions, or criminal convictions.

"} 66:{"type":"p","text":"\r\n

“There is an ongoing need for an automatic re-enrollment mechanism, given that some people do not actively return to the Marketplace to make plan choices during open enrollment,” the group wrote to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in April 2025. Rather than requiring action on the part of enrollees, Legal Action Center urged the federal government to verify continued eligibility using existing data such as the Social Security Administration and state unemployment databases.

"} 67:{"type":"p","text":"

Bad Actors

"} 68:{"type":"p","text":"

Unscrupulous brokers appear to have contributed to improper enrollments by steering consumers toward plans that pay larger commissions, Blase said. And the report suggests that some agents have created fictitious enrollments.

"} 69:{"type":"p","text":"\r\n

“Some brokers and agents continue steering low-income enrollees into $0-premium plans,” Blase said, even though it may not provide them the best value.

"} 6a:{"type":"p","text":"\r\n

Bronze plans have no premium for an enrollee at 100 percent of the federal poverty level. But the out-of-pocket costs could total nearly $7,500 per year, according to Paragon.

"} 6b:{"type":"p","text":"\r\n

The same individual could qualify for a silver plan for which the enrollee premium plus out-of-pocket costs totaled $415.

"} 6c:{"type":"p","text":"\r\n

“One plausible explanation is that brokers moved enrollees into $0-premium bronze or gold plans because some consumers will only enroll if coverage is free,

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