Florida Firm Pleads Guilty to $100M ACA Fraud Preying on Treasure Coast Homeless

A Florida insurance company has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding the federal government of more than $100 million in Affordable Care Act subsidies, prosecutors announced Monday. The scheme allegedly preyed on unhoused and unemployed residents across the state, raising alarm among patient advocates who work with vulnerable populations on the Treasure Coast.

Fiorella Insurance Agency, operating as AP of South Florida LLC, reached a plea agreement to resolve a major fraud charge filed in Florida federal court, according to public court documents. Federal prosecutors allege the company systematically enrolled people experiencing homelessness, unemployment or zero income into subsidized ACA marketplace plans they were ineligible for, then artificially inflated income projections on their applications to make them appear qualified.

Prosecutors allege Fiorella contracted with an entity called Strong Opportunities LLC, doing business as Florida Care Insurance, to recruit consumers through street marketing. Marketers allegedly offered cash bribes and gift cards to induce enrollment. In some cases, applications were submitted using addresses and Social Security numbers that did not belong to the applicants. In others, plans were opened entirely without a consumer's knowledge or consent.

The fraud diverted federal subsidies meant to help working families afford health coverage under the ACA. St. Lucie and Martin counties have seen consistent ACA marketplace enrollment growth in recent years, with cost-sharing subsidies making coverage accessible to tens of thousands of low-income Treasure Coast residents who depend on the program's integrity.

Health care fraud of this scale distorts premium pricing, undermines insurer participation and erodes the public trust that drives legitimate enrollment. These consequences ripple outward from the scheme's epicenter to every county marketplace in the state, public health officials have previously warned in similar cases.

The guilty plea comes amid a broader national reckoning with ACA enrollment fraud, which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has flagged as a growing threat in states with large uninsured populations. Florida ranks among the nation's leaders in ACA marketplace enrollment.

Strong Opportunities LLC was not named as a defendant in the current filing, according to court records. The case remains active in Florida federal court. Sentencing details and restitution terms had not been publicly disclosed as of Monday.

Residents who believe their identity may have been used to fraudulently enroll them in a health plan can contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

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