Okay, I'll start the fake news/rumors.  My guess, since the President couldn't get the ACA dismantled through Congress, he found a workaround by having HHS exercise their considerable power to grant hardships.  They just made a blanket decision that all hardships now can be claimed on a tax return (as opposed to the previous system where many hardships had to be applied for and approved).  And I would guess that the IRS has been directed to accept any hardships that are claimed on returns, without examination. /rant