Photo Credit: Getty Images
Nearly 1 million Americans enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans are set to receive $500 refunds from the Trump administration, with payments beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30.
The refunds are going to eligible enrollees in 30 states that use the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace. The Trump administration says the payments are returning excess fees that were collected during the Biden administration and ultimately passed on to consumers through higher insurance premiums.
Recipients will receive a $500 payment from the Treasury Department, while some families with more than one eligible person could receive multiple payments. A letter from President Donald Trump is also being sent to recipients explaining the refunds.
"For years, the Biden Administration overcharged you to fund the operation of HealthCare.gov," Trump wrote in the letter, according to the administration.
"That money belongs to hard-working Americans, not the Government, and now, I am returning it to you!"
The White House first announced the refunds on Sept. 10, saying nearly 1 million people would receive $500 each. The administration said the money came from surplus user fees collected through the federal ACA marketplace.
The primary recipients are people earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level who did not receive premium assistance. Some people earning between 100% and 400% of the poverty level are also expected to qualify, according to an administration official cited by CBS News and CNBC.
The refunds are being issued in 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.
