Trump’s $500 Obamacare refund checks are going out: Who qualifies, which 30 states are included and how the payments work

A $500 check may be headed your way if you bought an Obamacare plan for 2026. But before you start counting on the money, there are a few rules that determine who actually gets it.

The one-time payment is going to eligible people who bought coverage through HealthCare.gov and paid the full premium without receiving a premium tax credit. More than 950,000 people in 30 states are included in the program.

Who can get the $500 Obamacare refund

The payment is for people who purchased 2026 coverage through HealthCare.gov and did not receive a premium tax credit.


Most recipients have incomes above 400% of the federal poverty level. However, an administration official said some people with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level who did not receive subsidies will also get the payment, as per a CNBC report.

As per White House, the 2026 subsidy cutoff is roughly $62,600 for an individual and $128,600 for a family of four.

So simply having an Obamacare plan does not mean you qualify for the $500.

Which states are included

The refund program covers eligible HealthCare.gov customers in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, as per the Fortune report.

People who bought coverage through state-run ACA exchanges are not included. Washington, D.C., is also excluded.

The payments are tied to user fees collected through the federal marketplace.

Why is the government sending the $500

The payments are connected to user fees paid by insurers that sell plans through HealthCare.gov.

The Trump administration says those fees were passed on to consumers through premiums and that more money was collected than was needed to operate the federal marketplace. The administration is describing the payments as a return of that excess money.

Recipients are also receiving a letter signed by President Donald Trump explaining the payment.

Do you have to apply

No. Eligible recipients do not have to fill out an application or submit a claim.

The administration says it has already identified the people who qualify. Payments are being sent automatically by paper check or direct deposit.

If more than one person in a household is eligible, the household can receive multiple $500 payments.

This is not the same as an ACA insurer rebate

The $500 payment is separate from medical loss ratio rebates under the Affordable Care Act.

Under the ACA's 80/20 rule, insurers that do not spend the required share of premium revenue on health care may have to return money to customers. Those rebates come from insurers rather than the Treasury.

So a person receiving the $500 payment could potentially receive an insurer rebate as well.

What ACA enrollees should know

The $500 payment is not going to every Obamacare customer. It is limited to eligible people who bought 2026 coverage through HealthCare.gov and paid the full premium without receiving a premium tax credit.

More than 950,000 people across the 30 HealthCare.gov states are included in the program. For those who qualify, the administration says there is nothing extra to file, the payment is being sent automatically.