More than 20 million seniors on Medicare are receiving a one-time $90 payment this month to help cover their Medicare Part B premiums, under a plan President Donald Trump announced on October 2.
The administration sent about 20 million direct deposits of $90 on October 8 and mailed about 875,000 paper checks, a White House official told USA Today. In emails to recipients dated October 9, the administration said, “You are receiving a One-Time Payment of $90 to offset some of the cost of your October Medicare premium,” The Epoch Times reported.
Trump announced the payments on Truth Social. “I am pleased to announce that my Administration will, immediately, begin sending ‘Checks’ of nearly $100 to over 20 MILLION wonderful Seniors to help pay for their Medicare Part B premiums,” he wrote, according to NBC News.
Who qualifies
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 20.8 million people are eligible. To qualify, you must:
- Be enrolled in Original Medicare Part B
- Live in the United States
- Not receive help from Medicaid to pay your premiums
- Not pay the higher, income-based premium known as IRMAA
People enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the private-plan alternative to traditional Medicare, are not eligible, even though many of them also pay the Part B premium. That leaves about 40 million Part B enrollees without a payment, CBS News reported.
When and how the money arrives
You do not need to apply. Most eligible seniors receive the $90 by direct deposit from the Social Security Administration, which went out on or around October 8, followed by an email or letter from the president in mid-October. Those without direct deposit will receive a $90 paper check from the Treasury Department later in October, mailed to the address registered with Medicare, according to CMS.
To check whether you qualify, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). To check the status of a payment, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, the White House said.
Where the money comes from
The payments come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which Congress created in 2008 to improve traditional Medicare. The fund holds about $2 billion, and administration officials said it had never been used for that purpose before, according to The Washington Post. At $90 for 20.8 million people, the payments total roughly $1.9 billion.
Criticism ahead of the midterms
The payments arrive weeks before the November 3 midterm elections. The Associated Press described them as the latest in a series of payment promises Trump has made to voters before the election. In September, Trump also promised a $5,000 payment to every U.S. adult if Republicans keep control of Congress. The $90 covers less than half of one month’s standard 2026 Part B premium, which is $202.90, according to CMS.
OneNews also covered the 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living increase for 2027.
Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, White House, USA Today, The Epoch Times, NBC News, Reuters, Associated Press, CBS News, The Washington Post
Featured image: sample Medicare card from Medicare.gov (public domain).
