How to Get Trump’s $500 Obamacare Exchange Refund Check

The Trump administration is sending $500 refund checks to nearly one million Americans this week, compensating for healthcare exchange fees deemed excessive under the Biden administration. The Treasury Department announced the payments, which address overcharges that inflated premiums for certain Obamacare customers. Eligibility is limited to residents of 30 states using the federal Healthcare.gov exchange, excluding state-run programs. Recipients must not have received federal subsidies, typically meaning individuals earning over 400% of the federal poverty line, about $63,000 annually. Payments are issued per person, not per household, and arrive by mail with a letter from President Trump. The refunds stem from a monthly user fee, currently 2.5% of premiums for 2026, set to drop to 1.9% in 2027. Of 19.2 million enrolled in ACA coverage, only a small fraction qualify, as the fees were incorporated into premiums rather than listed separately.