WASHINGTON — Nearly 950,000 Americans in 30 states received $500 refund checks as the Trump administration returns what it describes as surplus funds collected through federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchange user fees. The U.S. Treasury began distributing the payments today, while recipients are also expected to receive a letter from President Donald Trump explaining the refunds. According to administration officials, the refunds stem from fees collected through federally operated ACA marketplaces overseen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Thirty states rely on the federal government to administer their health insurance exchanges, while the remaining states operate their own marketplaces. CMS assesses a user fee on insurance plans sold through the federal exchange to cover administrative and operational costs. Administration officials argue that the Biden administration collected more revenue than was necessary to operate the exchanges, creating a ...