(LOOTPRESS) –
Nearly 1 million Americans are receiving $500 refund payments tied to health insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
The Trump administration began sending the payments Wednesday to more than 950,000 people across 30 states that use the federally operated HealthCare.gov marketplace. The payments are being distributed by the U.S. Treasury Department through checks or direct deposits. (CBS News)
Some households could receive more than one $500 payment if multiple family members qualify.
The White House says the refunds are being issued to consumers who were overcharged through fees associated with operating the federal health insurance marketplace during the Biden administration. President Donald Trump announced the refund program earlier in September.
Recipients are also being sent a letter from Trump explaining the payments.
Most of those receiving refunds purchased Affordable Care Act coverage without receiving federal premium assistance and earn more than 400% of the federal poverty level, although some people with lower incomes may also qualify. (News Minimalist)
The refunds are being distributed to eligible residents in the following 30 states:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. (True.News)
Residents of states that operate their own ACA insurance marketplaces are not included in the federal refund program.
The $500 payments come after enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies expired at the end of 2025. Those subsidies had reduced health insurance costs for millions of marketplace customers. Health policy analysts have noted that the one-time refunds are separate from those subsidies and may be considerably smaller than the annual premium increases some consumers have experienced. (News Minimalist)
Eligible recipients do not need to apply for the refund. The federal government has already identified those who qualify, and payments are being issued automatically.
