WINK SMART: ACA enrollment opens as major changes loom

Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans is getting underway, but this year’s sign-up period comes with several important changes.

Premiums are moving higher, and new verification requirements are being introduced as the Trump administration adds safeguards aimed at reducing fraud. Those steps are intended to curb improper enrollments, but they may also make it harder for some people to get covered.

WINK Smart examined the main changes consumers should be aware of.

One major issue is cost. Americans should expect additional premium increases in 2027, after Congress allowed enhanced federal subsidies from the COVID era to expire at the end of 2025.

For comparison, premiums rose 26% in 2026 and are projected to climb by another roughly 15% in 2027.

The Trump administration says the tougher security measures will help stop fraudulent enrollments and unauthorized policy changes. At the same time, the added scrutiny could slow the process, especially for first-time applicants and people changing states or brokers.

According to CBS News, policy experts say millions of people have dropped or lost coverage earlier this year, blaming the expiration of federal subsidies. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the fraud crackdown is the main driver.

In August, the Trump administration canceled policies for 760,000 enrollees it suspected had been improperly signed up. CBS News reports that a small number of those people have since regained coverage.

Beginning in 2027, certain immigrants will also lose access to ACA subsidies under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year. The change removes subsidy eligibility for certain refugees, asylees, people with Temporary Protected Status, temporary H-1B visa holders, and those with pending green-card applications.

Additional rules are also being applied to brokers in an effort to protect consumers from unauthorized actions by bad actors. According to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services release, the change affects only consumers who use agents or brokers to enroll through the federal marketplace, which serves 29 states including Florida.

This does not apply to state-based exchanges.

Consumers using brokers through the federal marketplace must now authorize a specific agent with a one-time code or link before that person can enroll them or make changes on their behalf. The code or link is sent by text message, email, or an automated phone call from a private enrollment platform used by the agent.

Anyone with incorrect or outdated contact information must first call the federal marketplace or file an online application to update it.

The federal government has also temporarily barred agents who are not registered to sell ACA coverage until February, a move that could make it harder to find a broker during open enrollment.

The new rules leave consumers facing tighter enrollment checks and higher costs at the same time.

With open enrollment now underway, some shoppers will have more steps to complete and fewer options for finding a broker. Experts recommend scheduling an appointment with a broker as early as possible to allow enough time to find the best plan.