New Delhi, Oct. 1 -- Nearly 1 million Americans across 30 states are beginning to receive $500 refund checks linked to Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans, with the Trump administration saying the payments return excess fees it claims were collected through the federal marketplace under the Biden administration. The Treasury Department began sending the payments on September 30, 2026, along with letters signed by President Donald Trump.

The refunds stem from user fees charged to insurers that sell plans through the federal ACA marketplace, HealthCare.gov.

The Trump administration says those fees were ultimately passed on to consumers through insurance premiums and that the federal government collected more money than was required to ...