U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced Saturday that more than 1 million individuals currently enrolled in Obamacare marketplace plans lack valid Social Security numbers.
In a joint video statement, Kennedy characterized the findings as a major indicator of systemic fraud within the program. He attributed the vulnerability to the dismantling of program integrity guardrails by previous administrations. “The Obamacare marketplace is plagued by fraud in large part because basic integrity guardrails were removed,” Kennedy stated.
Dr. Oz highlighted concerns regarding “rogue agents” who allegedly enroll individuals in health plans without their consent using fabricated identities. According to the officials, these bad actors often select plans with zero-dollar premiums to avoid immediate detection by the victims. The officials noted that the absence of Social Security numbers serves as a primary red flag in these unauthorized enrollments.
Current HHS data indicates approximately 19.2 million Americans are enrolled in Obamacare exchange plans, a decrease from 23.4 million in 2025 following the expiration of enhanced subsidies. While Kennedy and Oz did not specify the exact number of enrollees suspected of active criminal fraud, they emphasized a “zero tolerance” policy. The administration is currently working with insurance providers to cancel illegitimate policies and recover taxpayer funds disbursed under these accounts.