President Donald Trump has pledged to send $90 to more than 20 million Medicare beneficiaries to help cover the cost of their premiums for outpatient care — the latest financial bonus for Americans promised by the White House in advance of the midterm elections.
The money will be pulled from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which Congress created almost two decades ago to bolster the traditional Medicare program, and reach eligible Medicare seniors in early October, according to a fact sheet from the administration.
Medicare Part B covers doctor’s visits, outpatient care, preventive screenings and certain medical equipment. Most people pay the standard Part B premium, which is $202.90 in 2026.
But roughly one-third of the 70.6 million people in Medicare are going to have their premiums offset by the new rebates, which Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social network on Friday.
Eligible seniors will get a one-time payment in the form of a direct deposit on or around this coming Thursday, according to the administration. Some people will get a paper check from the Treasury Department later in the month.
The rebates apply to 20.8 million Medicare beneficiaries who are U.S. residents, not getting premium assistance from Medicaid and not higher earners subject to higher Medicare premiums.
Seniors in the privatized Medicare Advantage program are not eligible.
The administration is making the Part B rebates available because “the best way to improve Medicare is to put healthcare dollars back where they belong — in the hands of our Medicare beneficiaries — and make coverage more affordable,” according to a fact sheet from the CMS.
It’s the latest in a growing list of cash payments promised to Americans amid a rising affordability crisis in the U.S., and as Republicans attempt to stave off an expected blue wave in November’s midterm elections.
Last month, Trump said he would send $500 rebates to about 1 million Affordable Care Act enrollees, claiming without evidence that they were overcharged by the Biden administration. Those checks have been sent out, the White House said last week.
Trump has also pledged a $5,000 dividend payment to adult U.S. citizens if Republicans win the House and Senate in November. The promised payouts, which have been panned as a dubious effort to buy votes, would cost the U.S. more than $1 trillion and need congressional approval.
