Trump Administration Begins $500 Obamacare Refunds to Nearly 1 Million Americans
Andrew Powell · Oct 1, 2026 · 2 min read
The Trump administration has begun sending $500 refund checks to more than 950,000 Americans in 30 states who officials say were overcharged through the federal Obamacare marketplace.
The U.S. Treasury is issuing the payments, and recipients will also receive a personal letter from President Donald Trump explaining the administration's decision, according to Fox News.
"For years, the Biden administration overcharged you to fund the operation of HealthCare.gov," Trump wrote in the letter. He said the money should be returned to Americans rather than kept by the government.
The refunds are aimed at people who purchased health insurance through HealthCare.gov but did not receive premium assistance. The administration says the payments are being funded by surplus money collected through user fees associated with the federal exchange.
The 30 states involved do not operate their own ACA exchanges and instead use the federally facilitated marketplace. CMS charges participating insurers user fees to help fund the operation of those exchanges.
Texas has the largest estimated group of recipients, with about 139,000 people expected to receive checks. Florida follows with approximately 127,900 recipients, while Ohio has an estimated 65,700.
North Carolina is expected to have about 58,200 recipients, and Michigan about 55,100. Residents in several other states, including Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin, are also included in the program.
People in 20 states will not receive the refunds because those states operate their own ACA exchanges rather than relying on the federal marketplace.
The administration first announced the refunds in September as President Donald Trump continued to promote direct financial benefits tied to his policies. The payments come as healthcare costs remain a major political issue ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The refunds are separate from premium tax credits, which provide financial assistance to eligible ACA enrollees. Federal rules governing Marketplace coverage also include user fees paid by insurers to support exchange operations, and CMS recently finalized lower user-fee rates for the 2027 benefit year.
The administration has also pointed to other healthcare initiatives, including efforts involving prescription drug prices and expanded access to health savings accounts.
For those receiving the refund, the $500 payment represents a one-time return of funds that the administration says accumulated through the federal marketplace system.