$500 Obamacare checks reach 950,000 in battleground states before midterms

The Trump administration is sending $500 payments to nearly 950,000 Americans in 30 states this week, a move that could influence closely contested races in the November 2026 midterm elections determining Republican control of Congress. The White House frames the payments as refunds for excessive fees on full-price Affordable Care Act plans, targeting households earning over $132,000 annually. Recipients lost pandemic-era subsidies when Congress let them expire in 2025, causing premiums to quadruple in some states, with 71% of payments going to battleground states. Democrats accuse the administration of electioneering, while analysts say the money may shift support by a percentage point or two. Trump has also proposed $5,000 payments to all adults if Republicans retain Congress, though some lawmakers doubt the plan.