20.8 million Medicare beneficiaries will receive a $90 rebate this month to offset their Part B premiums, the latest in a series of cash payments promised by the White House ahead of the midterms. The one-time payment, announced by President Trump on Truth Social, will arrive as either a direct deposit or a paper check in early October.
Medicare Part B covers outpatient care, doctor visits, and preventive services. The standard premium for 2026 is set at $202.90, but the rebate will apply to roughly one-third of the 70.6 million Medicare enrollees—those who are not on Medicaid or subject to income-based premium surcharges. Seniors in the Medicare Advantage program are ineligible.
The funds will be drawn from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a reserve established by Congress nearly two decades ago to support the traditional Medicare program. The administration is making the Part B rebates available because “the best way to improve Medicare is to put healthcare dollars back where they belong, in the hands of our Medicare beneficiaries, and make coverage more affordable,” according to a fact sheet from the CMS.
The $90 payment follows other recent cash initiatives from the White House. Last month, Trump ordered $500 rebates for about 1 million Affordable Care Act enrollees, citing alleged overcharges under the Biden administration. Those checks have already been distributed, according to the White House.
Trump has also proposed a $5,000 dividend for all adult U.S. citizens if Republicans win control of Congress in November. The plan, which would cost over $1 trillion and require congressional approval, has been criticized as an election-year incentive rather than a long-term policy solution.
