www.healthcare.gov: Accessibility — week 2026-W25

Automated Accessibility Conformance Report (OpenACR): Download ACR. Machine-readable; compatible with GSA OpenACR tooling. Automated tools find ~⅓ of real barriers — supplement with manual AT testing.

Training priorities

Top WCAG success criteria by pages affected this week. Use these to focus team training on the highest-impact issues.

SC	Criterion	Pages	Rules
4.1.2	Name, Role, Value (ARIA)	551	1
1.4.8	WCAG 1.4.8	169	1
2.5.5	WCAG 2.5.5	169	1
2.5.8	WCAG 2.5.8	30	1
1.4.3	Contrast (Minimum)	7	2

Next 10 actions

Clusters are fingerprinted by normalized selector path + rule id + snippet shape. Rank score = (severity weight × pages affected) / distinct components for the rule. This supersedes the template threshold heuristic while still surfacing it as a validation signal.

Top 10 clustered component fixes for this week.
Cluster	Severity	Pages	Who it affects	How to fix	Evidence	Decision
ARIA attributes must conform to valid values · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~551 finding(s) on 551 page(s). XPath / selector: `.index-module--search-form--93f38` `<form role="search" method="get" action="/search/" class="index-module--search-form--93f38" aria-controls="search-results">`	Critical	551	Without vision, Limited vision, Limited manipulation/strength	Fix the ARIA attribute value — it must reference a real id or use an allowed value.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Form field label is visible · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~165 finding(s) on 165 page(s). XPath / selector: `{"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys`	Moderate	165	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r61	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
aria attribute is permitted for element role · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~165 finding(s) on 165 page(s). XPath / selector: `@aria-labelledby="mm-topic-featured"`	Moderate	165	Requires manual testing.	Only use ARIA states/properties that are allowed on this element/role.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~169 finding(s) on 169 page(s). XPath / selector: `<p class="ds-c-usa-banner__header-text">`	Moderate	169	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~169 finding(s) on 169 page(s). XPath / selector: `<p class="ds-c-usa-banner__action ds-u-align-items--center ds-u-md-display--none ds-u-display--flex">`	Moderate	169	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~165 finding(s) on 165 page(s). XPath / selector: `<p class="megaMenu-module--featured-heading--d1d6f">`	Moderate	165	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~5 finding(s) on 5 page(s). XPath / selector: `#QSIFeedbackButton-btn > div > div:nth-child(2)` `<div>TAKE OUR SURVEY</div>`	Serious	5	Limited vision, Without color perception	Increase the contrast between text and its background to at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). Check both light and dark modes.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Images must have alternative text · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~4 finding(s) on 2 page(s). XPath / selector: `div:nth-child(1) > div > img` `<img src="https://gov1.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSiteIntercept/Graphic.php?IM=IM_brriXYMu68CEU3s" style="width: 700px; height: 453px;">`	Critical	2	Without vision, Limited vision, Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability	Give every <img> a meaningful alt attribute. Use alt="" only for decorative images so screen readers skip them.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~13 finding(s) on 13 page(s). XPath / selector: `<a class="megaMenu-module--topic-link--97a32" href="/keep-or-change-plan/" data-listener-attached="true">`	Moderate	13	Limited manipulation/strength, Limited reach, Limited vision	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r113	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
<dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~4 finding(s) on 2 page(s). XPath / selector: `dl:nth-child(4)` `<dl>`	Serious	2	Without vision, Limited vision, Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability	See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/definition-list?application=axeAPI	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes

Bug reports

8 issue type(s) are shown by default out of 20 total. Prioritized by severity, key pages, WCAG level, and prevalence; use the toggle to show everything.

Overall severity mix: 2 critical, 5 serious, 12 moderate, 1 minor. By WCAG category: 6 WCAG 2.0 A, 2 WCAG 2.0 AA, 1 WCAG 2.2 AA, 3 WCAG 2.x AAA, 4 Best Practice, 4 Undetermined. Ordered by severity, key-page impact, WCAG level, and prevalence. Following accessibility bug-reporting best practices. Download: Markdown · JSON (full archive) · JSON (AI diagnostic) · CSV (all findings) · Priority pages CSV · Priority pages JSON.

Automated testing does not establish full WCAG conformance. Findings in the verification lane require manual testing before they are treated as confirmed failures.

Default view shows 8 prioritized issue type(s); 12 more are available if you switch to "Show everything".

Findings needing review

These findings need manual verification before they can be treated as confirmed failures. Obligation remains visible for each finding.

Critical axe aria-valid-attr-value WCAG 2.0 A ARIA attributes must conform to valid values (WCAG 4.1.2) 551/569 pages · 551 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-02936df9
Pattern ID: VS-af36d20c
Combined ID: VS-02936df9 (pattern VS-af36d20c) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — ARIA attributes must conform to valid values [aria-valid-attr-value]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement
XPath / selector: .index-module--search-form--93f38
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<form role="search" method="get" action="/search/" class="index-module--search-form--93f38" aria-controls="search-results">

Description

ARIA attributes must conform to valid values. Detected by axe-core rule aria-valid-attr-value on 551 of 569 scanned pages (551 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement.
Locate the element: .index-module--search-form--93f38
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule aria-valid-attr-value against WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited manipulation/strength (13.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited manipulation/strength — 13.0% of population

Affected pages

…and more — all 551 pages (CSV).

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Fix the ARIA attribute value — it must reference a real id or use an allowed value.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/aria-valid-attr-value?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious axe color-contrast WCAG 2.0 AA Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds (WCAG 1.4.3) 5/569 pages · 5 instances

Bug ID: VS-5a2a75b1
Pattern ID: VS-be8d563e
Combined ID: VS-5a2a75b1 (pattern VS-be8d563e) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 AA
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds [color-contrast]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers
XPath / selector: #QSIFeedbackButton-btn > div > div:nth-child(2)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<div>TAKE OUR SURVEY</div>

Description

Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds. Detected by axe-core rule color-contrast on 5 of 569 scanned pages (5 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers.
Locate the element: #QSIFeedbackButton-btn > div > div:nth-child(2)
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule color-contrast against WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).

Impact

Affects Limited vision (2.4%), Without color perception (4.5%).

Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Without color perception — 4.5% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Increase the contrast between text and its background to at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). Check both light and dark modes.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/color-contrast?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Critical axe image-alt WCAG 2.0 A Images must have alternative text (WCAG 1.1.1) 2/569 pages · 4 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-93f18414
Pattern ID: VS-9074b4dd
Combined ID: VS-93f18414 (pattern VS-9074b4dd) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — Images must have alternative text [image-alt]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/using-medicaid-or-chip-coverage
XPath / selector: div:nth-child(1) > div > img
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<img src="https://gov1.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSiteIntercept/Graphic.php?IM=IM_brriXYMu68CEU3s" style="width: 700px; height: 453px;">

Description

Images must have alternative text. Detected by axe-core rule image-alt on 2 of 569 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/using-medicaid-or-chip-coverage.
Locate the element: div:nth-child(1) > div > img
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule image-alt against WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability (11.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability — 11.0% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Give every <img> a meaningful alt attribute. Use alt="" only for decorative images so screen readers skip them.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/image-alt?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious axe definition-list WCAG 2.0 A <dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, (WCAG 1.3.1) 2/569 pages · 4 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-5fc7a72b
Pattern ID: VS-4bcaa7bf
Combined ID: VS-5fc7a72b (pattern VS-4bcaa7bf) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — <dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, [definition-list]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip
XPath / selector: dl:nth-child(4)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<dl>

Description

<dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, . Detected by axe-core rule definition-list on 2 of 569 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip.
Locate the element: dl:nth-child(4)
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule definition-list against WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability (11.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability — 11.0% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/definition-list?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious axe list WCAG 2.0 A <ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements (WCAG 1.3.1) 1/569 pages · 1 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-2c7d8471
Pattern ID: VS-a0bdbdf6
Combined ID: VS-2c7d8471 (pattern VS-a0bdbdf6) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — <ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements [list]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary
XPath / selector: .jumpTool-module--jump-list--99f14
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<ul class="jumpTool-module--jump-list--99f14 ds-c-list--bare">

Description

<ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements. Detected by axe-core rule list on 1 of 569 scanned pages (1 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary.
Locate the element: .jumpTool-module--jump-list--99f14
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule list against WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability (11.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability — 11.0% of population

Affected pages

/glossary

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Use <ul>/<ol> with only <li> children for lists; don't fake lists with <div>s.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/list?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious axe link-in-text-block WCAG 2.0 A Links must be distinguishable without relying on color (WCAG 1.4.1) 1/569 pages · 1 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-219e0619
Pattern ID: VS-8ade3360
Combined ID: VS-219e0619 (pattern VS-8ade3360) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — Links must be distinguishable without relying on color [link-in-text-block]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/see-plans
XPath / selector: .ds-u-padding--0
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<a class="ds-u-text-decoration--none ds-u-padding--0 ds-u-font-weight--normal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/qualifying-life-event/" aria-label="L

Description

Links must be distinguishable without relying on color. Detected by axe-core rule link-in-text-block on 1 of 569 scanned pages (1 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/see-plans.
Locate the element: .ds-u-padding--0
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule link-in-text-block against WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Color.

Impact

Affects Without color perception (4.5%), Limited vision (2.4%).

Without color perception — 4.5% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population

Affected pages

/see-plans

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/link-in-text-block?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious axe td-headers-attr WCAG 2.0 A Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same tabl (WCAG 1.3.1) 1/569 pages · 1 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-b2aec309
Pattern ID: VS-07ba3b17
Combined ID: VS-b2aec309 (pattern VS-07ba3b17) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same tabl [td-headers-attr]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide
XPath / selector: table
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<table class="ds-c-table ds-c-table--striped ds-c-sm-table--stacked">

Description

Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same tabl. Detected by axe-core rule td-headers-attr on 1 of 569 scanned pages (1 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide.
Locate the element: table
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule td-headers-attr against WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability (11.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability — 11.0% of population

Affected pages

/small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Associate data cells with their headers correctly using headers/id or scope.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/td-headers-attr?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r113 WCAG 2.2 AA Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) (WCAG 2.5.8) 30/569 pages · 30 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-67fd8a63
Pattern ID: VS-179ad9b3
Combined ID: VS-67fd8a63 (pattern VS-179ad9b3) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.2 AA
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.2)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) [sia-r113]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance
XPath / selector: <a class="megaMenu-module--topic-link--97a32" href="/reporting-changes/why-report-changes/" data-listener-attached="true">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r113 on 30 of 569 scanned pages (30 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance.
Locate the element: <a class="megaMenu-module--topic-link--97a32" href="/reporting-changes/why-report-changes/" data-listener-attached="true">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r113 against WCAG 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum).

Impact

Affects Limited manipulation/strength (13.0%), Limited reach (2.0%), Limited vision (2.4%).

Limited manipulation/strength — 13.0% of population
Limited reach — 2.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population

Affected pages

…and more — all 30 pages (CSV).

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r113

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r111 WCAG 2.x AAA Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) (WCAG 2.5.5) 169/569 pages · 7066 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-5040d435
Pattern ID: VS-cb53cc4d
Combined ID: VS-5040d435 (pattern VS-cb53cc4d) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.x AAA
Obligation: aspirational
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.1)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) [sia-r111]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance
XPath / selector: <a href="https://www.cuidadodesalud.gov/es/glossary/grievance/" aria-label="CuidadoDeSalud.gov en Español" class="hc-c-logged-out-links__link sl-c-locale sl_swap" data-listener-attached="true">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r111 on 169 of 569 scanned pages (7066 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance.
Locate the element: <a href="https://www.cuidadodesalud.gov/es/glossary/grievance/" aria-label="CuidadoDeSalud.gov en Español" class="hc-c-logged-out-links__link sl-c-locale sl_swap" data-listener-attached="true">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r111 against WCAG 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced).

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

…and more — all 169 pages (CSV).

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r111

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r73 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (WCAG 1.4.8) 169/569 pages · 1015 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-75f57554
Pattern ID: VS-2208081b
Combined ID: VS-75f57554 (pattern VS-2208081b) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.x AAA
Obligation: aspirational
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.8 Visual Presentation (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 [sia-r73]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance
XPath / selector: <p class="ds-c-usa-banner__header-text">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r73 on 169 of 569 scanned pages (1015 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance.
Locate the element: <p class="ds-c-usa-banner__header-text">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r73 against WCAG 1.4.8 Visual Presentation.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

…and more — all 169 pages (CSV).

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r18 Undetermined aria attribute is permitted for element role (WCAG criterion undetermined) 166/569 pages · 166 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-5d1f67f0
Pattern ID: VS-e05344b9
Combined ID: VS-5d1f67f0 (pattern VS-e05344b9) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — aria attribute is permitted for element role [sia-r18]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance
XPath / selector: @aria-labelledby="mm-topic-featured"
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

aria attribute is permitted for element role. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r18 on 166 of 569 scanned pages (166 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance.
Locate the element: @aria-labelledby="mm-topic-featured"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r18.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

…and more — all 166 pages (CSV).

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Only use ARIA states/properties that are allowed on this element/role.

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r18

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r61 Undetermined Form field label is visible (WCAG criterion undetermined) 165/569 pages · 165 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-870b705a
Pattern ID: VS-7118fead
Combined ID: VS-870b705a (pattern VS-7118fead) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Form field label is visible [sia-r61]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance
XPath / selector: {"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Form field label is visible. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r61 on 165 of 569 scanned pages (165 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grievance.
Locate the element: {"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r61.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

…and more — all 165 pages (CSV).

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r61

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe heading-order Best Practice Heading levels should only increase by one (WCAG criterion undetermined) 12/569 pages · 12 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-bae8371e
Pattern ID: VS-d25f622d
Combined ID: VS-bae8371e (pattern VS-d25f622d) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — Heading levels should only increase by one [heading-order]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers
XPath / selector: h4:nth-child(1)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<h4>Apply &amp; enroll in SHOP insurance at any time</h4>

Description

Heading levels should only increase by one. Detected by axe-core rule heading-order on 12 of 569 scanned pages (12 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers.
Locate the element: h4:nth-child(1)
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule heading-order.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Use heading levels in order (h1 → h2 → h3) without skipping; structure, not size.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/heading-order?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe landmark-unique Best Practice Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c (WCAG criterion undetermined) 11/569 pages · 11 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-4f99ee73
Pattern ID: VS-8806389c
Combined ID: VS-4f99ee73 (pattern VS-8806389c) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c [landmark-unique]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/verify-information/documents-and-deadlines
XPath / selector: #box-content--3269fd380
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<div class="ds-c-alert ds-c-alert--hide-icon ds-c-alert--lightweight" role="region" aria-labelledby="box-content--3269fd380__a11y-label" id="box-content--3269fd380">

Description

Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c. Detected by axe-core rule landmark-unique on 11 of 569 scanned pages (11 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/verify-information/documents-and-deadlines.
Locate the element: #box-content--3269fd380
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule landmark-unique.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: When a landmark role/type repeats (e.g. two <nav>s), give each a distinct accessible name with aria-label or aria-labelledby (e.g. "Primary" and "Footer" navigation) so screen-reader users can tell them apart.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/landmark-unique?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r53 Undetermined Headings are structured hierarchically (WCAG criterion undetermined) 4/569 pages · 4 instances

Bug ID: VS-91e1858f
Pattern ID: VS-f054f4a4
Combined ID: VS-91e1858f (pattern VS-f054f4a4) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Headings are structured hierarchically [sia-r53]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/using-this-site
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Headings are structured hierarchically. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r53 on 4 of 569 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/using-this-site.
Locate the element: <h3>
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r53.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Use headings in a logical, non-skipping order.

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r53

Triage status Notes

Minor axe empty-heading Best Practice Headings should not be empty (WCAG criterion undetermined) 4/569 pages · 4 instances

Bug ID: VS-2cccfa20
Pattern ID: VS-0066c67d
Combined ID: VS-2cccfa20 (pattern VS-0066c67d) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — Headings should not be empty [empty-heading]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs
XPath / selector: .index-module--content--6c4f4 > h3
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Description

Headings should not be empty. Detected by axe-core rule empty-heading on 4 of 569 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs.
Locate the element: .index-module--content--6c4f4 > h3
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule empty-heading.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Remove empty headings or give them text. Don't use heading tags for spacing.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/empty-heading?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r66 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has enhanced contrast (WCAG 1.4.6) 2/569 pages · 11 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-6f7eba82
Pattern ID: VS-646b1e0b
Combined ID: VS-6f7eba82 (pattern VS-646b1e0b) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.x AAA
Obligation: aspirational
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Text has enhanced contrast [sia-r66]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/subscribe
XPath / selector: text: "Get covered"
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Text has enhanced contrast. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r66 on 2 of 569 scanned pages (11 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/subscribe.
Locate the element: text: "Get covered"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r66 against WCAG 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced).

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Increase text contrast to meet WCAG AAA (7:1).

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r66

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r69 WCAG 2.0 AA Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced) (WCAG 1.4.3) 2/569 pages · 11 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-e80b7856
Pattern ID: VS-f7e99f4b
Combined ID: VS-e80b7856 (pattern VS-f7e99f4b) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 AA
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced) [sia-r69]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/subscribe
XPath / selector: text: "Get covered"
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r69 on 2 of 569 scanned pages (11 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/subscribe.
Locate the element: text: "Get covered"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r69 against WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).

Impact

Affects Limited vision (2.4%), Without color perception (4.5%).

Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Without color perception — 4.5% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Increase text contrast to meet WCAG AA (4.5:1, or 3:1 for large text).

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r69

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe region Best Practice All page content should be contained by landmarks (WCAG criterion undetermined) 2/569 pages · 4 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-9d5574cc
Pattern ID: VS-f18df681
Combined ID: VS-9d5574cc (pattern VS-f18df681) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — All page content should be contained by landmarks [region]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/using-medicaid-or-chip-coverage
XPath / selector: .QSIPopOver > div:nth-child(1)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<div tabindex="0" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; position: absolute; z-index: 2000000002; width: 700px; height: 453px; background-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; border-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); bor

Description

All page content should be contained by landmarks. Detected by axe-core rule region on 2 of 569 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/using-medicaid-or-chip-coverage.
Locate the element: .QSIPopOver > div:nth-child(1)
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule region.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Wrap all page content in landmarks (header, nav, main, footer) so users can navigate by region.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/region?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r78 Undetermined Table header has scope (WCAG criterion undetermined) 1/569 pages · 1 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-991cedd7
Pattern ID: VS-2cd767ca
Combined ID: VS-991cedd7 (pattern VS-2cd767ca) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Table header has scope [sia-r78]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace-appeals/getting-help
XPath / selector: <h2 class="index-module--content-heading--bc675 ds-text-heading--3xl ds-u-margin-top--4 ds-u-margin-bottom--2">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W25 (2 wk)

Description

Table header has scope. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r78 on 1 of 569 scanned pages (1 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace-appeals/getting-help.
Locate the element: <h2 class="index-module--content-heading--bc675 ds-text-heading--3xl ds-u-margin-top--4 ds-u-margin-bottom--2">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r78.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

/marketplace-appeals/getting-help

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r78

Triage status Notes

Deque axe-core findings

Rule-level axe-core summary (11 rule type(s))

Each failing rule links out to the axe-core documentation. For full element-level detail including HTML snippets and XPaths, see the bug reports above.

axe-core rules failing in 2026-W25, by pages affected
Rule	Impact	Pages affected	Instances	Example pages	All affected
ARIA attributes must conform to valid values [aria-valid-attr-value]	critical	551	551	/agent-privacy-act-statement /glossary/vision-or-vision-coverage /small-businesses/health-care-law-and-businesses/how-aca-affects-businesses	all 551 pages (CSV)
Heading levels should only increase by one [heading-order]	moderate	12	12	/small-businesses/get-answers /health-plan-information /using-this-site	all 12 pages (CSV)
Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) combination [landmark-unique]	moderate	11	11	/verify-information/documents-and-deadlines /have-job-based-coverage/change-to-marketplace-plan /preventive-care-women	all 11 pages (CSV)
Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds [color-contrast]	serious	5	5	/small-businesses/get-answers /contact-us /topics	all 5 pages (CSV)
Headings should not be empty [empty-heading]	minor	4	4	/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs /taxes-2023/no-health-coverage /taxes-2023/other-health-coverage	all 4 pages (CSV)
<dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, <script>, <template> or <div> elements [definition-list]	serious	2	4	/medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip /medicaid-chip	all 2 pages (CSV)
Images must have alternative text [image-alt]	critical	2	4	/medicaid-chip/using-medicaid-or-chip-coverage /medicaid-chip	all 2 pages (CSV)
All page content should be contained by landmarks [region]	moderate	2	4	/medicaid-chip/using-medicaid-or-chip-coverage /medicaid-chip	all 2 pages (CSV)
Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same table [td-headers-attr]	serious	1	1	/small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide	all 1 pages (CSV)
<ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements [list]	serious	1	1	/glossary	all 1 pages (CSV)
Links must be distinguishable without relying on color [link-in-text-block]	serious	1	1	/see-plans	all 1 pages (CSV)

Siteimprove Alfa findings

Rule-level Alfa summary (9 rule type(s))

Rule-level summary from Siteimprove Alfa (W3C ACT-based). Findings that overlap with axe-core on the same WCAG success criterion are noted as possible duplicates in the bug reports above.

Alfa rules failing in 2026-W25, by pages affected
Rule	Impact	Pages affected	Instances	Example pages	All affected
Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) [sia-r111]	n/a	169	7066	/glossary/grievance /glossary/employer-or-union-retiree-plans /small-businesses/shop-calculators-mpr	all 169 pages (CSV)
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 [sia-r73]	n/a	169	1015	/glossary/grievance /glossary/employer-or-union-retiree-plans /small-businesses/shop-calculators-mpr	all 169 pages (CSV)
aria attribute is permitted for element role [sia-r18]	n/a	166	166	/glossary/grievance /glossary/employer-or-union-retiree-plans /small-businesses/shop-calculators-mpr	all 166 pages (CSV)
Form field label is visible [sia-r61]	n/a	165	165	/glossary/grievance /glossary/employer-or-union-retiree-plans /small-businesses/shop-calculators-mpr	all 165 pages (CSV)
Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) [sia-r113]	n/a	30	30	/glossary/grievance /glossary/employer-or-union-retiree-plans /glossary/specialist	all 30 pages (CSV)
Headings are structured hierarchically [sia-r53]	n/a	4	4	/using-this-site /sep-list /shop-dental-plan-information	all 4 pages (CSV)
Text has enhanced contrast [sia-r66]	n/a	2	11	/subscribe /small-businesses/employers	all 2 pages (CSV)
Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced) [sia-r69]	n/a	2	11	/subscribe /small-businesses/employers	all 2 pages (CSV)
Table header has scope [sia-r78]	n/a	1	1	/marketplace-appeals/getting-help	all 1 pages (CSV)

Unique accessibility issues (axe + Alfa consolidated)

axe and Alfa both implement W3C ACT rules, so the same issue is often caught by both. These are deduplicated by ACT rule and page, so a shared finding counts once.

Unique issues (rule × page): 1300
Caught by both engines: 0 highest confidence
axe only: 592
Alfa only: 708

No issues were flagged by both engines on the same pages this week.