Nearly one million Americans to receive $500 ACA refund checks from Trump administration

Nearly one million Americans will begin receiving $500 refund checks from the federal government on Wednesday, issued as reimbursement for alleged overcharges on Affordable Care Act (ACA) federal exchange premiums. The Treasury Department is mailing the checks, accompanied by letters signed by President Donald Trump, to over 950,000 people across 30 states. The refunds stem from the Trump administration's claim that the Biden administration overcharged consumers to fund HealthCare.gov operations and sat on the surplus. The checks arrive weeks before the November midterm elections, where healthcare affordability is a key issue, following the expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies that made insurance more expensive for millions. The 30 states receiving checks rely on the federal exchange, while 20 states with their own exchanges are excluded. The distribution follows a separate administration action to remove 760,000 ACA enrollees suspected of fraudulent enrollment, and comes as a June Gallup poll found less than half of Americans can consistently afford healthcare.