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President Donald Trump . Photo: Reuters. |
On September 30, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump began sending $500 refunds to more than 950,000 people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, across 30 states.
These individuals will also receive a letter from President Trump, in which he argues that the previous administration overcharged for fees related to the ACA insurance market, while highlighting his own achievements in healthcare policy.
According to the White House, this money comes from unused fees that insurance companies pay to operate the federal exchange – fees that are passed on to consumers, driving up insurance prices.
The cashback program only applies in the 30 states that use the federal exchange platform (HealthCare.gov). Obamacare participants in the 20 states that operate their own exchange platforms are not eligible for this cashback.
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The Trump administration began sending $500 refunds on September 30 to more than 950,000 people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance program. Photo: Reuters. |
Who is eligible?
In the letter, Trump also listed his efforts to combat fraud, lower drug prices, and increase healthcare spending in rural areas.
The refunds will be for those who purchased insurance under the ACA but did not receive federal assistance to cover their premiums.
According to the White House, the majority of those receiving the refunds are middle-class Americans whose incomes are more than 400% (or more than four times) the federal poverty level, equivalent to approximately $63,000 for an individual and $129,000 for a family of four.
Some people whose incomes are between 100% and 400% (1-4 times) of the federal poverty level are also eligible.
This move comes amid expectations that insurance premiums will continue to rise in 2027. Policyholders will know how much more they will have to pay when the enrollment period opens on November 1st, just before the midterm elections.
As of February 2026, approximately 19.2 million people were enrolled in health insurance plans through the ACA exchange, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In a video announcing the refund program and urging Congress to pass his healthcare plan, Trump said the $500 refund would offset the increase in insurance premiums “in many cases.”
However, according to KFF, the monthly costs for some participants have risen far beyond this amount.
CNBC also quoted several experts as saying that the $500 payment is unlikely to fully offset the increase in insurance premiums, which in some cases amount to thousands of dollars per year.
Millions of Americans are also believed to have stopped taking out insurance as medical costs soared, while enhanced benefits rolled out during the Covid-19 pandemic expired, making monthly premiums prohibitively expensive.
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Nurses administer injections to patients at a hospital in Sarasota, Florida (USA). Photo: Reuters. |
President Trump promised to distribute $1 trillion if the Republican Party won the election.
At a campaign rally in Oklahoma on October 1st, US President Donald Trump declared that a plan to give $5,000 to each adult if the Republican Party wins the midterm elections is "entirely feasible."
This plan is expected to cost around $1 trillion . Trump claims the funding will come from the $21 trillion in investment capital he brought in during his first half-term, although White House data only recorded $11.2 trillion .
However, the proposal has sparked considerable skepticism because it risks exacerbating the US's annual budget deficit, which is already nearing $1.8 trillion , and increasing concerns about inflation.
“If the Republicans win, you will win with us and you will receive $5,000 ,” Trump said. “This money will be called the ‘Trump Dividend’.”
He emphasized that this was the result of tariffs and a record-breaking economy that "only the Republican Party could have achieved."
Less than an hour later, Vice President JD Vance appeared to be trying to adjust Trump's proposal, at least in part, by suggesting that the "dividend" would not go to the wealthy.
Mr. Vance suggested that the money could be paid from U.S. tariff revenue, although the proposed amount is far greater than the revenue the U.S. receives from these trade protectionist measures.
The White House did not respond to requests for further information.
Congress will need to approve, or somehow authorize, this spending. The total amount would be far higher than the revenue from U.S. tariffs, even before the Supreme Court struck down much of Trump's tariff program last year.
In September, at the Republican midterm convention, Trump first proposed the idea of distributing a $5,000 "dividend" to all citizens. This money would be drawn from the proceeds of recent economic policies, including tariffs. However, this proposal is receiving mixed reactions.
Source: https://lifestyle.zingnews.vn/my-hoan-tien-cho-gan-mot-trieu-nguoi-tham-gia-obamacare-post1687171.html
