โญ๏ธ ๐บ๐ธ At a rally in San Antonio on Wednesday, 27 days before the midterms, President Trump told seniors they would get "checks over $100." The White House's fact sheet actually puts the payment at $90, and only one time.
The money comes from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a roughly $2 billion reserve Congress created in 2008. UC Berkeley health economist William Dow told Time the payments will cost about $1.9 billion, nearly the entire fund, and warned that draining it could weaken Medicare's operations over time. Time also reported that the agency that runs Medicare hasn't spelled out the legal basis for sending the money directly to enrollees.
The check covers less than half of the $214.80 a year that Medicare Part B premiums rose in 2026. The poorest seniors, whose premiums Medicaid pays, are excluded. Trump's 2025 law also delayed until 2034 a rule that would have made it easier for low-income seniors to get help paying their premiums.