President Donald Trump announced that his administration will send $500 refund checks to nearly 1 million Americans who he says were overcharged for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, commonly referred to as Obamacare.
Trump said the payments stem from what he described as at least $500 million in excessive fees paid by consumers.
"Our Administration is doing the right thing and giving the money back to the people who were wrongly ripped off," Trump said in an announcement posted on social media.
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The president said the checks will be mailed to eligible people in 30 states: 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.
The checks are expected to be mailed within a "few weeks," the president said.
In his announcement, Trump also called on Congress to pass his "Great Health Care Plan." The president says the proposal would lower prescription drug prices and insurance premiums while requiring greater transparency from insurers about rates and billing.
