President Donald Trump says nearly one million Americans will receive $500 checks after being overcharged through fees tied to Affordable Care Act insurance plans.
The checks are expected to go to residents in 30 states, including Texas. In a Sept. 10 video posted to X, Trump blamed the Biden administration, saying user fees charged through the Obamacare plan exchange were passed on to consumers.
The Trump administration has accused the Biden administration of holding onto surplus funds collected through the fees, USA TODAY reported.
President Donald J. Trump announces $500 rebate checks to nearly 1 million hardworking Americans who were wrongly overcharged through Obamacare. "Our Administration is doing the right thing and giving the money back
to the people who were wrongly ripped off." pic.twitter.com/XWA1wlzRH8
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 10, 2026
Checks for eligible Americans are expected to begin arriving in October 2026, according to a White House news release.
The 30 states where some Americans will receive refund checks are states that do not operate their own ACA insurance plan exchanges and rely on federal exchanges administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, according to the White House.
The 30 states are 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.
Americans in the other 20 states won't receive checks because their states run their exchanges and the federal government did not collect user fees, USA TODAY reported.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Trump sending out $500 checks to 1 million Americans. Here's why
