Are Americans who "qualify" being offered up to $6,400 in health credits by the federal government? No, that's not true: This bogus information is similar to past false claims that such health credits are available.
Many claims have appeared on Facebook stating that such health credits or money from a health care stimulus exist. Some examples are linked here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Similarly, this post was published on Facebook on March 13, 2023. The post included a video that opened "I got approved for $5,700 and I'm gonna tell you how you can do this, too." The caption read:
Enter Your Zip Code And Get Up To $6,400 Back In Savings If You Qualify
Just got some amazing news!
I called the health hotline and qualified for $6400 in credits because of my income.
Now I can finally catch up on some overdue bills and buy some much-needed groceries.
If you're in a tight spot, check out the website below to see if you qualify for these credits too!
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Wed Mar 15 18:22:56 2023 UTC)
The post includes this link, which prompts users to register for $6,400 in health credits as shown below:
(Source: 2merican screenshot taken on Wed Mar 15 17:08:28 2023 UTC)
The "Register Here" link takes users to this advertorial, which states that "Americans With No Medicaid Rush to Claim Free Medical Benefits. Check Eligibility Below." It originated from the website Healthcare Pronto, which does not list any kind of relationship with the federal government. A screenshot of the advertorial is below.
(Source: Healthcare Pronto screenshot taken on Wed Mar 15 17:16:57 2023 UTC)
Many of the other posts included above also contain a link that ultimately leads to the same Healthcare Pronto advertorial. Other advertorials linked in the posts included above are from We Solve Insurance and Finance Tips for US Citizens. None of these links are associated with the federal government, as top-level government websites end with the domain ".gov."
A simple Google search of "health credits" revealed that such health credits are not available for Americans in the ways they are described in the posts. Lead Stories found information about the premium tax credit offered by the federal government, which the IRS describes as:
... a refundable credit that helps eligible individuals and families cover the premiums for their health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace. To get this credit, you must meet certain requirements and file a tax return with Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit (PTC).
The posts published on Facebook do not explicitly state that the premium tax credit is the "savings" they are advertising, especially since cash is shown in the posts, indicating that the "savings" are a payout or stimulus of some sort.
Lead Stories has debunked numerous claims that such health credits are available to Americans who apply for them. Such fact checks can be found here.
