Who is getting a $500 refund check?
The payments go to people who bought 2026 coverage through HealthCare.gov without a premium tax credit. The three sources below describe the group in slightly different words, so each is attributed to the one that said it.
| Source | What it says about who is paid |
|---|---|
| White House fact sheet | Refunds of $500 per person go to nearly 1 million Americans in 30 states, specifically people who do not receive premium assistance and so, the White House says, paid the full cost of the exchange user fee. Checks go out beginning in October 2026. |
| An administration official, quoted by CNBC | Treasury began releasing checks on September 30 to more than 950,000 people. Most recipients have income above 400 percent of the federal poverty level, about $63,000 for one person and $129,000 for a family of four. “Some people” between 100 and 400 percent will also get one, and a family with more than one affected person can get more than one check. |
| KFF analysis | About 5 percent of all marketplace enrollees will be paid: those who enrolled through HealthCare.gov in 2026 and did not receive premium tax credits. The other 95 percent get nothing, and neither do people who were enrolled in earlier years but dropped their coverage. |
CNBC reports that the largest groups are in Texas, about 139,000 people, and Florida, about 127,900, according to federal data shared with CNBC. Recipients also get a letter dated September 30 from the President.
Is my state on the list?
The White House names 30 states that use the federal exchange to run their marketplaces. Eighteen of the 22 states where we are licensed are on the list. The other four run their own marketplaces and are not.
| Group | States |
|---|---|
| On the White House list | Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah |
| Not on the list (state run marketplace) | Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota and Nevada |
The full list of 30 also names Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. We are not licensed in those states.
Do I have to apply for the $500 check?
Neither the White House nor CNBC describes an application, a sign up step or a fee. Treasury is identifying recipients and sending the money, and CNBC says the letters are mailed.
- September 10, 2026The White House announces the refunds.
- September 28, 2026The FTC warns that health insurance scams pick up before open enrollment.
- September 30, 2026Treasury begins sending checks and direct deposits.
- October 23, 2026KFF publishes its analysis of the user fees behind the checks.
- November 1, 2026Open enrollment begins for 2027 coverage.
- December 15, 2026Last day to choose a plan that starts January 1, 2027.
Source: White House fact sheet, CNBC, FTC consumer alert and HealthCare.gov dates and deadlines
If you think you qualify and have not received a check, we did not find an official claim process in the sources we read. Do not pay anyone who offers to file a claim for you.
How can I tell a real check from a scam?
The FTC says government agencies will never call, email, text or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information. Treat any message that offers to release or speed up a refund in exchange for a fee, bank login or Social Security number as a scam.
- Do not give your Social Security number, bank login or card number to anyone who contacts you about the refund.
- Go to HealthCare.gov by typing the address yourself, or call 800-318-2596, the number the FTC lists. The FTC says scammers sometimes pay to appear at the top of search results and use web addresses that look like government sites, so scroll past ads and look for the .gov ending.
- Report a suspected scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you already shared bank details, call your bank right away.
The FTC posted its open enrollment alert on September 28, 2026, two days before the first checks were sent. It covers both Medicare and marketplace plans.
Where does the money come from, and what do the two sides say?
The White House says the checks return exchange user fees that the Biden administration collected beyond what the exchange needed. KFF's analysis reads the same federal records differently. We report each statement as made.
| Who | What they say |
|---|---|
| White House | The Biden administration overcharged people through user fees that insurers passed on in higher premiums, and built a surplus that did not benefit the people who paid. The refund returns that money to people who got no premium assistance. |
| KFF | In fiscal years 2018 to 2020 the government collected more in user fees than it spent, a period when the first Trump administration oversaw spending. In fiscal years 2021 to 2023 it spent more than it collected. The flat $500 is not matched to what each person paid, and for most recipients likely exceeds the roughly $221 average user fee in this year's premium. No administration has returned unused user fees before, and KFF says it is not clear what legal authority exists for the checks. |
| Jonathan Oberlander, University of North Carolina professor, quoted by CNBC | He told CNBC the policy is likely a form of damage control and that the announcement is “less about health policy and much more about the 2026 Congressional elections.” He also said user fee rates went up and down under the Biden administration and at times were lower than under the first Trump administration. |
KFF also compares the check with what recipients paid. The average yearly premium for HealthCare.gov enrollees without a tax credit was $6,660 in 2025 and $8,844 in 2026, a difference of $2,184. Health policy experts told CNBC the $500 does little to offset premiums that rose by several thousand dollars for people who had enhanced subsidies.
Does the check change my 2027 premium or my tax credit?
None of the sources we read say the refund changes your 2027 premium, your deductible or your premium tax credit. We also did not find a statement on whether the payment is taxable, so ask a tax professional before you file.
KFF makes one point that matters for taxes: some people who are not receiving a premium tax credit in 2026, and so are getting a check, can still claim a credit when they file their 2026 return if their income ends up below 400 percent of the federal poverty level. KFF also notes that people with income above 400 percent are ineligible for premium subsidies altogether now that the enhanced credits have expired.
What should I do about 2027 coverage?
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1, 2026. Choose a plan by December 15, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. Open enrollment ends January 15, 2027 in most states.
- Check your 2027 income estimate against the savings rules before you assume you get no help. A one year change in income can change your credit.
- Compare bronze, silver and gold plans at the same time, because a $500 check is small next to a year of premiums and deductibles.
- Look up your doctors and drugs in each plan before you pick.
How can an agent help with the refund and 2027 plans?
An agent can check whether you are likely to get a credit for 2027 at your income, compare plans from several insurers, look up your doctors and drugs and finish the application with you. Have your household size and a 2027 income estimate ready.
Health Insurance Solutions agents are licensed in 22 states and help by phone and online. Marketplace plans cost the same with or without an agent, so the comparison does not add to your premium.
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Enter your state, household size and income to see your 2027 expected premium, your savings and whether Medicaid may apply.
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