The White House said the federal government will send more than 20 million Medicare enrollees one-time $90 payments to help with Part B premiums in early October.
An Oct. 2 White House fact sheet said the payments would come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which was established in 2008 to strengthen fee-for-service Medicare Parts A and B. The fund had initially been allotted $2.2 billion, but as of 2023, Congress had increased funding 11 times and decreased it 17 times, per the Congressional Budget Office. However, the fact sheet said no payments had previously been made from the fund.
The White House said most eligible older adults will get their $90 payment as a direct deposit in early October, while those without direct deposit will get a check sent to their address. Enrollees with premiums already covered by Medicaid or enrollees paying an income-related monthly adjustment amount do not qualify for the $90.
Those in Medicare Advantage are not eligible, either, CMS said. According to KFF, 28.7 million people — less than half of those with Medicare Parts A and B — are enrolled in traditional, fee-for-service Medicare. CMS clarified eligible individuals must be living in the country, as well.
Going into October, the Trump administration said it was sending $500 checks to more than 950,000 people across 30 states to address claimed “overcharges” through the ACA federal exchange. In September, the president also pledged that each adult citizen would receive $5,000 if Republicans maintain control of Congress following the midterms.
