Trump Pledges $500 Obamacare Refund Checks to Nearly 1 Million Americans Ahead of Midterms

President Trump announced on September 10, 2026 that the federal government will send $500 refund checks to nearly 1 million Obamacare enrollees in the 30 states that use the federal Healthcare.gov exchange, with checks beginning in October. The White House said the payments return "excessive" exchange user fees collected under the Biden administration from enrollees who did not receive premium subsidies; the administration offered no evidence for that claim.

The announcement comes as ACA premiums have risen sharply since enhanced subsidies expired at the end of 2025, a decision the Trump administration backed, with enrollment down more than 5 million people in 2026. It follows unfulfilled Trump promises of direct payments to Americans, including a $2,000 tariff dividend and a $5,000 payment conditioned on Republicans keeping control of Congress in the midterms, both floated without a clear funding source.

It remains unclear whether the refunds require congressional approval or how the administration calculated the $500 figure; checks are due to go out weeks before the November midterm elections.