Trump administration to send $500 payments to nearly 1 million Obamacare participants

Updated on: September 11, 2026 / 5:49 PM EDT / CBS News

The Trump administration is promising to send $500 payments to nearly 1 million Affordable Care Act participants in 30 states, the White House's latest effort to address cost-of-living concerns ahead of the November midterm elections.

In a fact sheet on the initiative, the White House said it was issuing refunds after the Biden administration overcharged ACA enrollees though "plan exchange 'user fees' that were passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums."

The White House said the checks are part of the administration's goal to lower healthcare costs for Americans. The payments are set to go out starting in October.

"President Trump is delivering on promises to lower costs for American patients by putting them first and taking on big health insurance companies, drug manufacturers and other corporate giants that have used the status quo in Washington to raise healthcare costs for Americans," the White House said on Thursday.

The announcement comes less than two months before the midterm elections, with pocketbook issues expected to be a key issue as voters cast their ballots. Three-quarters of nearly 2,200 respondents said their income is not keeping up…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/