Trump administration to send $500 payments to nearly 1 million Obamacare participants
Updated on: September 11, 2026 / 5:49 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- The Trump administration will send $500 payments to nearly 1 million ACA participants in 30 states.
- The White House claims these refunds are due to the Biden administration overcharging ACA enrollees through plan exchange 'user fees'.
- The payments are scheduled to start in October and are presented as an effort to lower healthcare costs.
- This announcement comes shortly before the midterm elections, where economic issues are a key concern for voters.
- Monthly ACA premiums have significantly increased, leading some enrollees to downgrade plans or forgo insurance.
- Larry Levitt of KFF noted that these payments will primarily go to middle-income individuals who experienced higher costs after enhanced tax credits expired.
- The checks will cover approximately 5% of ACA exchange insurance recipients.