Trump Administration Issues $500 Checks to About 950,000 ACA Enrollees in 30 States, Citing Surplus User Fees
The U.S. Treasury has begun issuing $500 refund checks to approximately 950,000 Americans across 30 states who purchased health insurance through the federal ACA exchange, HealthCare.gov, without receiving premium tax credit subsidies. Each check is accompanied by a personal letter from President Trump. The funds are drawn from a surplus accumulated through the "user fee" the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services charges states that use the federal exchange rather than running their own.
Single source · Not corroborated
The Trump administration announced that the U.S. Treasury is distributing one-time $500 payments to more than 950,000 Americans in 30 states who enrolled in ACA marketplace plans through HealthCare.gov without receiving federal premium subsidies. The 30 states involved are those that rely on the federal exchange rather than operating their own state-run ACA marketplaces; residents of the 20 states with their own exchanges are not eligible for this payment.
The letter accompanying each check, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital, states that "the Biden administration overcharged you to fund the operation of HealthCare.gov" and frames the payment as a return of surplus funds from what Trump called the Obamacare "Premium Tax." An administration official told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration had allowed a surplus of user-fee revenue to accumulate, and that those funds — along with a reduction in the fee going forward — are now being directed back to enrollees who bore the full cost of the fee without subsidy offsets.
The top recipient states by estimated check volume are Texas with approximately 139,000 recipients, Florida with 127,900, and Ohio with 65,700. North Carolina and Michigan are projected to receive payments to roughly 58,200 and 55,100 residents, respectively. Thousands more will receive checks across 25 additional states including Alaska, Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and others.