ACA WAY 2026 Brings CMS Leaders to Miami for a Direct Conversation on the Future of the Marketplace
CMS officials will address federal Marketplace priorities, regulatory expectations, and the changes agents, carriers, and healthcare organizations need to understand heading into the next Open Enrollment period and beyond.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIAMI, FL – Sept. 9, 2026 – As the health insurance industry prepares for another critical Open Enrollment period, ACA WAY 2026 will bring leaders from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to Miami for conversations focused on the federal Marketplace, regulation, compliance, and what the industry needs to know moving forward.
Taking place September 23–24, the conference will feature CMS representatives Peter J. Nelson, Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO); Dean Mohs, Director of the Division of Strategic Stakeholder Engagement & Operations; and Research Analyst Kehinde Rayemo.
Their participation comes at an important time for the individual health insurance market. Agents, agencies, carriers, technology companies, and other Marketplace organizations are preparing for the upcoming enrollment season while continuing to navigate evolving federal requirements and increased attention on consumer protection and Marketplace integrity. Mohs has recently spoken about CMS's focus on identity proofing and stronger broker-consumer authorization controls as tools against fraud, waste, and abuse in the ACA Marketplace, an area the agency has flagged as a top priority heading into this enrollment cycle.
Rather than hearing about federal priorities after changes take effect, ACA WAY attendees will have an opportunity to hear directly from CMS officials responsible for working within and overseeing key areas of the Marketplace.
"Having CMS at ACA WAY gives our attendees something incredibly valuable: the opportunity to hear directly from the people working on these issues at the federal level," said Sherry Feijoo, CEO of ACA WAY. "Important changes are happening across our industry, and those decisions ultimately affect the agents serving consumers, the carriers providing coverage, and the organizations supporting the Marketplace. We want ACA WAY to be a place where those groups can come together and have the conversations that need to happen."
Regulatory Reality Check
On Wednesday, September 23 at 9:00 a.m., Nelson will take the Main Stage for Regulatory Reality Check, a CMS-focused discussion examining the current regulatory environment and what it means for the ACA Marketplace.
Nelson will be joined by Cathy Grason, Vice President and Associate General Counsel and Head of Government Affairs at Oscar Health, bringing federal and industry perspectives into the same conversation.
The session will examine CMS rules and compliance expectations while helping attendees better understand the changes they should be preparing for as the Marketplace moves forward.
For agents and agencies in particular, federal policy does not remain confined to Washington. Changes to Marketplace processes can directly affect enrollment operations, consumer interactions, compliance procedures, technology systems, and the way organizations prepare their teams for Open Enrollment.
That connection between federal policy and day-to-day Marketplace operations is a major reason CMS participation has become an important part of the ACA WAY program.
Hearing Directly From CMS
CMS will continue to have a presence during ACA WAY programming through participation from Mohs and Rayemo, adding further perspective on federal Marketplace operations and priorities.
Mohs leads CMS's Division of Strategic Stakeholder Engagement & Operations, where he oversees the agency's Agent/Broker Business Operations Team for the under-65 ACA individual market and works closely with stakeholder engagement surrounding the Individual Marketplace. Rayemo brings additional CMS perspective to the conference as the industry looks toward the next phase of Marketplace policy and implementation.
Their participation allows attendees to better understand not only what is changing, but how federal priorities translate into the systems and processes used by agents, organizations, and consumers across the country.
For ACA WAY, bringing CMS into those conversations reflects a broader goal of creating meaningful dialogue between the people developing and administering Marketplace policy and those experiencing its effects firsthand.
"The people attending ACA WAY are the people who have to take these policies and make them work in the real world," Feijoo said. "They are answering consumer questions, updating their processes, training their teams, and preparing for enrollment. Giving them the opportunity to hear directly from CMS before Open Enrollment is exactly the kind of conversation this event was built to create."
Preparing the Industry for What Comes Next
CMS participation is part of a broader ACA WAY 2026 program bringing together federal officials, health insurance carriers, healthcare executives, technology leaders, FMOs, agents, and other organizations involved in the changing healthcare and insurance landscape. This year's keynote lineup also includes John Sculley, Chairman of NirvanaHealth and former CEO of Apple Computer, and Dr. Marty Makary, a New York Times bestselling author.
Across two days of programming, discussions will address regulatory change, Marketplace growth, consumer protection, healthcare costs, emerging technology, Medicare, ICHRA, industry leadership, and the evolving ways consumers access and experience healthcare. The conference will also offer live translation in ten languages across all sessions, a new addition for 2026 meant to widen access to the programming.
With the 2027 Marketplace approaching, the CMS sessions will allow attendees to better understand the federal perspective before the next enrollment season is underway.
About ACA WAY
ACA WAY is a national healthcare and insurance industry event bringing together professionals from across the Marketplace, Medicare, health technology, insurance distribution, wellness, policy, and consumer engagement. Through education, collaboration, and direct access to leaders shaping the industry, ACA WAY creates a forum for the conversations influencing how healthcare coverage is delivered, distributed, and experienced.
Event Information
ACA WAY 2026
September 23 to 24, 2026
Hilton Miami Downtown
1601 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, Florida 33132
Registration and additional event information are available at theacaway.com.
Media Contact
Megan Whitehead
Director of Corporate Relations
