President Trump announced on Thursday that his administration will send $500 rebate checks to nearly one million Americans in 30 states who he said were overcharged for their coverage under Obamacare.

“They were forced to pay excessive fees totaling at least $500 million. The last administration knew about this and they studied it, but they kept the money. They just kept it. They never let anyone know,” Trump said.

“Our Administration is doing the right thing and giving the money back to the people who were wrongly ripped off,” he continued.

“Nearly one million hard-working Americans in 30 states will soon be getting refunds of $500 each,” he added.

Trump said the rebates would be going out in “just a few weeks.”

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Axios shared further:

Officials say the refunds are available to Obamacare enrollees who don’t receive premium assistance under the insurance program.

Alabama, Alaska Arkansas, Florida, Delaware, New Hampshire, Texas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri were specifically mentioned as states with relatively large numbers of recipients who are due refunds.

“President Trump is delivering on promises to lower costs for American patients by putting them first and taking on big health insurance companies, drug manufacturers, and other corporate giants that have used the status quo in Washington to raise healthcare costs for Americans,” a White House fact sheet read.

“The Trump Administration is cracking down on fraud and corruption, lowering healthcare costs for Americans, and putting the American people over big health insurance companies after the Biden Administration’s mismanagement of Obamacare resulted in massive levels of fraud, higher costs for Americans, and profit windfalls for big health insurance companies,” it continued.

More from The New York Times:

Many farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs and early retirees, people who earn more than around $65,000 a year and do not get health coverage from their jobs, could receive the money.

President Trump and congressional Republicans have faced criticism from Democrats over the rising costs of health care, part of a broader critique that the administration’s policies have made everyday life less affordable.

For weeks last year, Democrats in Congress refused to vote for government spending bills unless Republicans extended the insurance subsidies, a standoff that led to a record-long government shutdown. While Democrats ultimately relented, the extended fight highlighted the political disputes over how to stem rising insurance costs.

The fact sheet posted to the White House website indicated the checks were aimed at Americans who Trump officials claimed were “most exposed” to higher Obamacare costs during the Biden administration.

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