Trump's $90 Medicare Rebate Reaches Seniors, But Millions Are Left Out Ahead Of Midterms

President Donald Trump’s $90 Medicare rebate is being rolled out to eligible beneficiaries in the United States, weeks after he pledged the payments to more than 20 million seniors ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

Trump announced the plan on October 2, saying his administration would send checks of nearly $100 to help seniors cover their Medicare Part B premiums. The payments are now expected to reach about 20.8 million people enrolled in original Medicare Part B who meet specific eligibility requirements.

The one-time $90 rebates are expected to cost about $2 billion and will be paid automatically. Most eligible beneficiaries are expected to receive the money through direct deposit around Friday, while others will receive paper checks from the US Treasury later in October.

The payments come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, established by Congress in 2008 to support improvements and oversight of the Medicare fee-for-service programme. The Trump administration has described the move as a way to put healthcare funds directly into beneficiaries’ hands.

However, the rebate will not reach everyone enrolled in Medicare. Around 35 million Medicare Advantage enrollees are excluded, while millions of people with disabilities and roughly 12 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries receiving premium assistance will also not qualify.

According to healthcare research organisation KFF, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries account for more than half of the 64.2 million Medicare beneficiaries, meaning a substantial portion of people enrolled in the programme will not receive the payment.

Trump’s announcement came as the November 3 midterm elections approached, with healthcare and the cost of living among key issues for voters. Critics have characterised the payments as an election-year move rather than a broader solution to rising healthcare costs.

Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, criticised the plan, while KFF Medicare policy expert Juliette Cubanski said the payment could help beneficiaries facing higher food, energy and gasoline prices, though $90 may not go very far amid broader cost pressures.