People in Idaho and Washington Won’t Get $500 Refund Checks From Trump

It’s always exciting getting surprise money. Whether that money comes from someone or we find it in the pocket of an old pair of pants or a coat.

A few years ago, I pulled my coat out of the closet for winter and found a $20 bill in one of the pockets. I thought that was amazing. Even though it was already my money, it felt like I had just been gifted extra cash. When I heard the Trump administration was going to send out $500 ACA refund checks, I didn’t know what that meant, but I thought I’d be getting some extra money. But I won’t - and if you live in Idaho or Washington, you won’t either.

Why People in Idaho and Washington Won’t See ACA Refund Checks in the Mail

You won’t be getting a $500 check in the mail, but it’s actually OK. The people getting refund checks are the people who were overcharged for services under the Obamacare Affordable Care Act. So, you aren’t getting money back because you didn’t get ripped off.

Idaho and Washington are among the minority of states that didn’t use the federal exchange for the operation of their Obamacare markets. There were 30 states that did use the federal exchange, and about 1 million US citizens were overcharged for the service they received (or didn’t receive).

READ ALSO: Idahoans Get to Vote on a State Gun in the Upcoming Election

According to the White House press release, there were Americans who paid higher premiums but did not receive premium assistance. Not everyone enrolled in Obamacare will receive a check, only those who paid premium fees without receiving premium services.

The press release also explains how the Trump administration has been working to empower patients with information, transparency in pricing, and working with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription prices. Trump has presented his ‘Great Healthcare Plan’ to lower prescription prices, lower insurance premiums, hold insurance companies accountable, and maximize pricing transparency.

Some Residents in Utah Will Get $500 ACA Refund Checks in the Mail

Utah was one of the 30 states that did use the federal exchange at healthcare.gov.

Some groups, including CNN, pointed out that while Trump says some Americans were overcharged, not all experts agree.

Photo by The Now Time on Unsplash

The current $500 refund checks are different than the $5,000 checks promised by the Trump administration if republicans win the midterm in the House and Senate.