RFK Jr. Announces Removal of 189,000 Dead or Duplicate Enrollees from Subsidized Health Programs

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said CMS has stopped subsidies for 189,000 enrollments involving deceased persons or duplicates, projecting hundreds of millions in immediate savings.

Tommy Flynn, October 15, 2026

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Wednesday that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services identified 189,000 subsidized enrollments involving duplicate Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP coverage on records showing the enrollee had died. CMS acted to remove the improper subsidies.

Kennedy stated the purge would save taxpayers $738 million in 2026 alone, with future savings reaching an annualized rate of $1.5 billion. “Each of those figures represents a payment that would otherwise have gone to an insurance company, not to an American citizen,” he said. CMS contacted the enrollees or their estates and provided 30 days to address any errors.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz noted that the prior administration had paused checks for duplicate Medicaid and Obamacare coverage for four years, creating a large backlog. Oz said the current effort has already produced nearly $6 billion in related savings and will continue.

The announcement is part of ongoing program-integrity work targeting improper payments in taxpayer-funded health coverage. Earlier related actions included larger removals of suspicious ACA enrollments lacking basic verification.