Trump announces $90 payment for more than 20 million American seniors for Medicare

U.S. President Donald Trump announced late on Friday that the U.S. government will send a one-time payment of $90 to more than 20 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, the health program for seniors, to soften the cost of monthly medical insurance premiums.

The announcement came through a post by the president late on Friday on his social network Truth Social. As Reuters reports, the money will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, to which the president said Congress had given $2 billion to improve the “fee-for-service” program.

The White House published the details on its website: most eligible seniors will receive the $90 payment in the form of a direct deposit in early October, while those without direct deposit will receive a check, also in early October, at the address registered with Medicare. Most of those enrolled in Medicare Part B are eligible; those whose premiums are paid by Medicaid, or those who pay the IRMAA supplement, do not benefit.

According to Reuters, the announcement is the latest in a series of financial promises the Republican president has made to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, where control of Congress is at stake. Last month Trump proposed $5,000 checks for every American adult if Republicans keep control of the House and the Senate — a proposal that analysts, economists and even some Republicans in Congress greeted with skepticism.

The administration is also sending $500 payments to about 1 million Americans — refunds for what the White House describes as excessive fees charged on insurance plans bought through the Affordable Care Act. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in the Senate and the House, but Trump’s approval has been low for his handling of the cost of living, while the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has pushed up oil and fuel prices.

Critics say the money promises are simply a form of electoral buying; the White House insists they are real help for families. The $90 payments begin in early October — only a few weeks before the midterms.